A poll of 2,000 young adults found they’re also inspired by the entrepreneurial exploits of David Beckham, Kylie Jenner, Elon Musk, and Ryan Reynolds.
These names held in high esteem because they’re passionate about what they do (28 per cent) have made a lot of money (28 per cent) and have challenged the norm (27 per cent).
While 48 per cent look up to them as they’re ‘more relatable’ to them than traditional business moguls such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.
They feel their heroes are relatable because they’re a similar age (36 per cent), are active on social media (44 per cent) and have shared their business journey from the start (42 per cent).
Over half of Brits want to own a business in the future
The research was commissioned to celebrate NatWest’s Backing Business campaign alongside ITV and Alison Hammond.
Andrew Harrison, head of business Banking at NatWest, said: “Our Modern Business Icons list demonstrates the importance of young, relatable role models in influencing and inspiring the young start-up founders and small business owners of the future.
"It’s great to see a generation with a thriving entrepreneurial spirit and I’m excited to see what the young people of today can do, to achieve a better tomorrow."
The survey also found 44 per cent consider themselves entrepreneurial, with more than half (54 per cent) already having run or currently running their own business or side hustle.
Health and beauty, social media, and food and drink are the most popular types of venture among those who have started one.
And a further 64 per cent want to run their own business in the future.
Motivation to succeed
Reasons for wanting to do so include wanting more control over their work/life balance (40 per cent) the cost-of-living crisis (38 per cent) and wanting to make a lot of money (37 per cent).
But the main concerns about starting a company are high start-up costs (46 per cent) lack of business know-how (41 per cent) and worries over the amount of competition (38 per cent).
If they were to start a business, 31 per cent would look to become an influencer, 26 per cent would try selling items online, and 24 per cent would make extra cash by baking or cooking.
Although 18 per cent of those who would like to run their own venture in future admit they wouldn’t know where to start when it comes to starting a business.
As a result, 73 per cent would like to see this topic taught as a core subject in school, according to the OnePoll figures.
Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur, and the youngest dragon on Dragon’s Den, who featured at number nine on the UK most influential list and 22nd on the global list, said: “Starting up a business is hard work - it's so important to find those you can draw inspiration from, both in and out of your industry, to keep you motivated to succeed.
“There are lots of positive role models the next generation of entrepreneurs can look up to, from music artists to sports stars, who are relatable figures in business with less traditional career paths, each of which show us something different about how to achieve your dreams.”
The spokesperson from NatWest added: “From our Dream Bigger programme in schools, Business Builder for early-stage entrepreneurs, to our Entrepreneur Accelerator hubs around the country for high growth, green and diverse businesses, we want to help more businesses start, scale and succeed.”
Top 30 modern business icons among young adults
- Rihanna
- Beyoncé
- Marcus Rashford MBE
- Molly-Mae Hague
- David Beckham OBE
- Kylie Jenner
- Kim Kardashian
- Elon Musk
- Ryan Reynolds
- KSI
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Michael Jordan
- Joe Wicks MBE
- Victoria Beckham OBE
- Jeff Bezos
- Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg
- Jay-Z
- Dr Dre
- Lebron James
- Rio Ferdinand OBE
- Steven Bartlett
- Stella McCartney CBE
- Pharrell Williams
- Gary Neville
- Grace Beverley
- Alexa Chung
- Virgil Abloh
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Jonathan Van Ness
- Jamal Edwards MBE
