The Motley Fool

How Motley Fool Grew to A $18M/Month Business

David Gardner
Founder, The Motley Fool
$18.8M
revenue/mo
2
Founders
726
Employees
The Motley Fool
from Alexandria, VA, USA
started January 1994
$18,800,000
revenue/mo
2
Founders
726
Employees
Discover what tools recommends to grow your business!
Discover what books David recommends to grow your business!
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Monthly Revenue
$18.8M
Score
98 πŸ”₯
Founders
2
Employees
726 (est.)
Monthly Traffic
36,890,000
Gross Margin
90%
Profitable
Yes
Year Started
1994
Customer
B2B & B2C
Revenue Per Visitor
$0.51

The Motley Fool RevenueπŸ”—

The Motley Fool Growth Timeline
  1. The Motley Fool hits $18M in revenue [source]
  2. The Motley Fool hits $226M in revenue [source]

Who is David Gardner ?πŸ”—

David and Tom Gardner are American entrepreneurs and co-founders of The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial services company.

Despite having no formal training in finance, the brothers developed a unique concept for a forum that offered a platform for individuals to discuss and improve their financial decisions, all for free.

The Gardners were successful students who had shown an interest in money management (they began investing at age 18), but they resisted the lure of Wall Street.

Instead, they created a service that could help people make better financial decisions.

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What problem does The Motley Fool solve?πŸ”—

How did David come up with the idea for The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

The Motley Fool was founded as a traditional print newsletter in a backyard shed in Alexandria, Virginia.

They wrote essays, provided market insights, recommended how much, when, and where subscribers should invest, and suggested the kind of return subscribers could expect on their money.

In 1993, David began an investment newsletter, which was largely unsuccessful until the following year, when Tom promoted it on America Online (AOL).

Realizing that the Internet was a perfect forum for their product, they launched the Motley Fool site on AOL in August 1994.

The Gardners’ portfolio was proof of their genius (or foolhardiness), as they consistently outperformed Standard & Poor’s Market Index.

In the first year, they finished 40 points ahead of the market.

The Gardners emphasized that their product was revolutionary because it created a shift in power from big-money investors and brokers to β€œthe little guy” who had never before had convenient and affordable access to investment information.

How did David build the initial version of The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

Brothers David and Tom started with an investment newsletter in 1993 that didn't gain much traction until 1994 when Tom promoted it on America Online (AOL).

Recognizing the potential of the internet, they launched the Motley Fool site on AOL in August 1994, and later added a separate website.

They named their service "Motley Fool" to maintain a lighthearted approach, suggesting they could claim folly if their advice failed.

The brothers provided essays, market insights, investment recommendations, and expected return guidance from what they dubbed the "Fool Global Headquarters," located in David's shed in Alexandria, Virginia.

Their unique approach allowed them to build a successful platform for financial advice and investment insights.

What was the growth strategy for The Motley Fool and how did they scale?πŸ”—

SEO:

With Motley Fool’s success, it was the most frequently consulted financial service on AOL by late 1996.

The brothers also partnered with Universal Press in 1997 to write a weekly column published in newspapers nationwide and launched a British version of their website in 1998.

The following year, Motley Fool won a Webby Award for Best Finance Site, an achievement that earned the business considerable traction.

In 2001, The Motley Fool Radio Show debuted on National Public Radio (NPR). It ran until 2006, when the company focused on online ventures, including Motley Fool Video.

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What's the pricing strategy for The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

The Motley Fool offers two different memberships, both with a yearly fee of $99.

Discover Similar Business Ideas Like The Motley FoolπŸ”—

Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.

$20K Monthly Revenue
$500 Startup Costs
Read by 29,300 founders

Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.

$5K Monthly Revenue
$500 Startup Costs
Read by 14,723 founders

More about The Motley Fool:πŸ”—

Who is the owner of The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

David Gardner is the founder of The Motley Fool.

When did David Gardner start The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

1994

What is David Gardner 's net worth?πŸ”—

David Gardner 's business makes an average of $18.8M/month.

How much money has David Gardner made from The Motley Fool?πŸ”—

David Gardner started the business in 1994, and currently makes an average of $226M/year.