Denise Coates - founder and majority shareholder of Bet365 - paid herself £217m last year (40% of the company profits from £47bn of bets and countless ruined lives). That was £199m in salary and £18m in dividends. The previous record for a business boss's pay was £48m.

She is the daughter of the Stoke City chairman Peter Coates - so there is a football connection and name recognition.

This is painted as a rags-to-riches story; one of taking a massive gamble (really!) and winning; of breaking through a gender glass ceiling; of supporting her local community in The Potteries with jobs; and giving 'generously' to charities.

Some of that may be true, but to me this looks like a case of raking in obscene wealth from the debt, addiction and misery of hundreds of thousands of people. No amount of spin or charity donations will change that. Nor will Ray Winstone!

https://www.theguardian.com/business...217m-last-year