Tom Bilyeu has a net worth of $400 million.
Bilyeu is an influential figure in the health and wellness space and first gained recognition through co-founding Quest Nutrition, a business that sold protein snacks. He bootstrapped the company in the early days and sold Quest Nutrition to Simply Good Foods Co. for $1 billion.
Background
Thomas Bilyeu was born on March 30, 1976 in Tacoma, Washington and grew up in a family that struggled with obesity. Tom himself, was a chubby kid growing up and didn’t have a healthy diet.
Despite wanting to drop out of school, Tom managed to finish high school. He eventually moved away to study film at the University of South California. At college he got into working out and lost 60 pounds!
Early Career
Bilyeu’s first job was working as a copywriter for a data loss prevention business called Awareness Technologies. Tom worked there for eight years and rose through the ranks to become the Chief Marketing Officer. Due to his commitment and work ethic, he owned a 10% equity in Awareness Tech.
Even though Bilyeu was earning a hefty salary he still wasn’t happy with his job and quit. He was eager to start a fitness-related business as that was his real passion. By the time he quit, Tom’s equity stake was worth $2 million.
Founding Quest Nutrition
Bilyeu founded Quest Nutrition with his wife and former co-workers Shanan Penna, Ron Penna, and Mike Osborne. They bootstrapped the business in the early days and created the protein bars from scratch in their home kitchen. To scale operations they wanted a commercial kitchen but manufacturers wouldn’t make the product as it didn’t have sugar.
Quest Nutrition aggressively advertised on social media, and its growth was surreal. In 2010, the company sent thousands of protein bars to get influencers on board. Two years later the firm was doing over $10 million from online sales.
In 2013, Quest had 200 employees and made $82.6 million in annual revenue. The success didn’t go unnoticed and in 2014, it featured on the Inc. 5000 list as the second fastest-growing company in the US. In 2015, VMG invested at a $900 billion valuation.
The growth continued to skyrocket and its products were sold at over 40,000 locations in the next year. Tom knew it was time to exit and sold the business for $1 billion to Simply Good Foods Co in 2019.
Impact Theory
The accomplished businessman branched out into motivational content with Impact Theory. He wanted to help others discover their passions and make a difference in the world.
Impact Theory shares its message via blogs, YouTube and podcasts. Thanks to his online profile, Tom is able to attract some amazing guests. The couple run Impact Theory University, which has two subscription plans ranging from $99 to $199 per month. According to their website, over 15,100 students have enrolled.
Personal Life
Tom Bilyeu married Lisa Bilyeu in 2003 and since then they’ve built a strong relationship. This is rare in Hollywood! Lisa is a co-founder of Quest Nutrition, and serves as President of Impact Theory. The couple own a luxury home in Hollywood Hills.
