Samuel Leeds

Samuel Leeds
Born
Samuel Luke Leeds

(1991-04-11) 11 April 1991
EducationEmmanuel School, Birmingham Bible Institute
Occupations
SpouseAmanda Leeds[1]

Samuel Luke Leeds (born 11 April 1991)[2][3] is a British social media influencer, property trainer and investor.[4][5] Leeds and his activities have received extensive criticism.[6][7][8][9]

Early life and career

Samuel Leeds' step-father is a chartered accountant who worked for KPMG.[10][11][12] Leeds' brother, Russell Leeds, is his business partner.[13] He also has a sister who works for him.[14][15]

Leeds attended Emmanuel School, a private Christian school in Walsall.[16] He left school at 16.[16] He later attended the Birmingham Bible Institute.[17]

Leeds claims to have bought his first property before the age of 18, taking out a mortgage in his step-father's name as he was too young to take one out himself.[18][16]

Before his career in social media, Leeds worked as an illusionist.[19]

In the 2010 United Kingdom general election he stood for election as a Christian Party candidate for Birmingham Selly Oak. He received a 0.3% share of the vote.[20]

Leeds started his property education business in 2014.[21] His brother is the chief executive of the company.[13][22] Both his step-father and mother work for him as property academy mentors.[10][11][23] His sister is employed by him as an accountability coach.[14][15]

In 2018 Leeds and his brother purchased Ribbesford House, a historic English mansion near Bewdley in Worcestershire for £810,000.[24][25] Leeds claimed that when the project was completed, Ribbesford House would be worth £6.35 million.[26] Restoration work began but the building proved to be in a worse condition than the brothers had expected. Their £1 million restoration budget had to be doubled to £2 million.[24] In 2020 Samuel Leeds made an appeal for outside investors to help him finish the project.[26] Footage filmed in August 2022 revealed that restoration work had temporarily halted.[27] By March 2023 work had restarted.[28] In October 2024 Leeds revealed that after multiple failed attempts at getting planning permission from the local council, he would not finish the project until planning permission was granted.[29] Ribbesford House was listed for sale at auction on 5 November 2025. The guide price was £1.1 million.[30] The property was listed for auction for a second time, taking place on 28 January 2026. The guide price was lowered to £900,000.[31] Ribbesford House was listed for auction for a third time, scheduled to take place on 17 March 2026. The guide price had been lowered to £395,000. The property was sold prior to the auction taking place.[32]

In 2023 Leeds and his brother launched Samuel Leeds Finance, a lending initiative offering funding for Samuel Leeds Academy members' projects.[33][34]

In November 2023 Leeds and his brother paid £1,286,000 for Staden Grange, a hotel in Buxton in Derbyshire.[35][36]

In 2024 Leeds and his brother reached a deal to rent Willingham House in Willingham in Cambridgeshire to run as an apartment hotel.[37][38][39]

Personal life

Leeds is married and has four children.[1] He is a supporter of Reform UK.[40] He emigrated to Dubai to avoid paying "99.9 per cent of my taxes".[41] Leeds currently rents a house on Palm Jumeirah.[42]

Criticism and controversy

Leeds claims to have a UK property portfolio worth £20 million and charges up to £12,000 for 12 months of coaching.[43][18] His courses are not regulated by any professional body.[44] The Daily Telegraph reported that some attendees used savings or loans to pay for courses and did not achieve the results they expected, while others reported successful deals.[45]

In 2017 Leeds paid £4800 for a meet-and-greet and photograph with Alan Sugar. In 2020, after Leeds had claimed that Sugar had mentored him, Sugar instructed his lawyers to have Leeds remove these claims from his social media and website, dismissing them as "pure fantasy and completely untrue".[46][47]

In October 2019 Andrew Burgess started a Facebook group called The Truth about Samuel Leeds. In January 2021 Samuel Leeds launched legal proceedings seeking more than £6 million in damages against Burgess and several other members, alleging harassment and defamation.[48][7][8] The Facebook group defendants crowd funded over £14,000 to help pay their legal costs.[49] The case was struck out in the High Court by Mr Justice Nicklin in May 2024.[48][50]

In January 2020 BBC News reported on the suicide of Danny Butcher, who had taken out loans to join Samuel Leeds' Academy. Butcher, who had struggled with mental health issues and debt, did not make the money that he thought he would from property investment.[19] An article in The Daily Telegraph claimed that there was no evidence the course caused his death.[4] Leeds instructed his solicitors to send a warning letter to Carrie Jones, Butcher's sister, accusing her of defamation and harassment. She denied any wrongdoing.[7]

In May 2021 Samuel Leeds launched legal proceedings against Property Tribes co-founder Vanessa Warwick.[51] She also denied any wrongdoing and filed a counter-claim against Leeds for defamation and harassment.[7] Supporters of Warwick crowd funded over £60,000 to support her legal costs.[52] The case was eventually settled out of court.[53]

In September 2022 The Guardian reported that Ellisons Solicitors, acting on behalf of Samuel Leeds, had issued legal threats or proceedings against at least 15 individuals or websites in response to criticism of his courses.[7] Commentators raised concerns about the use of litigation to challenge online criticism.[7] Leeds and Ellisons Solicitors were mentioned by name by in a parliamentary debate on strategic lawsuits against public participation by Rachel Gilmour MP.[44]

In January 2026, Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer and former UK head of tax at Clifford Chance co-wrote an article on Leeds.[54][9] Neidle and the other authors claimed that despite Leeds' assertion that he has superior tax knowledge to most accountants, he makes repeated, basic errors of understanding. The authors criticised Leeds' knowledge of stamp duty, property flipping, trusts, inheritance planning, holding UK property offshore, employing family members and tax deductible items.[9] They claimed that it is unlikely that Leeds' course on property tax, for which he charges £995, contains any information that could not be found for free on the internet.[9] In a March 2026 parliamentary debate on finance, Leeds' tax advice was condemned and Leeds was branded a "charlatan" and "con artist" by Stella Creasy MP.[55]

References

  1. ^ a b Stringer, Olivia (8 December 2025). "Frustrated dad builds £150k mini-school in garden and employs two full time teachers". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Companies House Profile for Samuel Luke Leeds". Companies House. HM Government. January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  3. ^ @samuelleeds; (11 April 2024). "Today I turned 33 years old..." – via Instagram.
  4. ^ a b Meadows, Sam; Williams, Adam (18 January 2020). "'My late husband got into debt chasing property dreams'". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Controversial YouTuber pays £1 to take over historic Cambs hotel". Cambs Times. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Samuel Leeds BBC Investigation into Property Training". BBC. 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Siddique, Haroon (9 September 2022). "Property investor accused of shutting down criticism over £10,000 courses". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  8. ^ a b Coldwell, Will (9 February 2024). "TikTok gurus made property investing look easy. I lost thousands". The Economist. The Economist Group. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d "Samuel Leeds: the "property guru" and his bogus tax loopholes". Tax Policy Associates. 6 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b "The Family Visits My Castle…". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. May 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Samuel Leeds: Tim Gray". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ "Tim Gray's LinkedIn Profile". LinkedIn. March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  13. ^ a b "New owners of historic Ribbesford House revealed as young property developers Samuel and Russell Leeds". The Shuttle. Newsquest. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there". Samuel Leeds' Facebook Page. Facebook. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  15. ^ a b "Samuel Leeds Official Website: Tiffany Leeds". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  16. ^ a b c Dennett, Kate (3 September 2021). "Multi-millionaire property guru who left school at 16 saves his favourite teacher from a 'life on benefits' after she took his advice and now rakes in £1,500-a-month from her investments". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Samuel Leeds' LinkedIn". LinkedIn. February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b Usborne, Simon (21 March 2023). "The improbable rise of landlord influencers: 'I'm not taking advantage of anybody'". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  19. ^ a b "Doncaster property training debt soldier killed himself". BBC News. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  20. ^ "Birmingham, Selly Oak: 2010 General Election". UK Parliament. HM Government. May 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Samuel Leeds Property Education: Company Facts & History". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Samuel Leeds: Russell Leeds". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limitd. March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Samuel Leeds: Sue Gray". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  24. ^ a b Keel, Toby (9 August 2019). "The 20-bedroom castle that went on the market for £500,000 - and what happened to the men who bought it". Country Life. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  25. ^ "HM Land Registry Entry for Ribbesford House". HM Land Registry. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Ribbesford House owner seeks investors to complete development of historic Worcestershire estate". Samuel Leeds. Samuel Leeds Limited. 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  27. ^ Hampshire Aerial Photography (August 2022). "Ribbesford House, August 2022. Renovation progress". YouTube. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  28. ^ Hampshire Aerial Photography (March 2023). "Ribbesford House update, March 2023. There's new scaffolding up at 'The Castle'". YouTube. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  29. ^ Self Unemployed (October 2024). "Why Ribbesford House Remains Unfinished After 6 Years". YouTube. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Detached house for sale in Ribbesford House, Bewdley, Shropshire, DY12 2TG, DY12". Rightmove. October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  31. ^ "Savills: Ribbesford House". Savills. January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  32. ^ "Savills: Ribbesford House". Savills. March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Companies House: Samuel Leeds Finance Limited". Companies House. HM Government. February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  34. ^ Rabinowicz, David (9 November 2025). "Samuel Leeds: property mentor invests in students' deals". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  35. ^ "HM Land Registry Entry for Staden Grange". HM Land Registry. 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  36. ^ "Samuel Leeds Developments (SG) Ltd". Companies House. HM Government. February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  37. ^ "Companies House: Willingham House & Co". Companies House. HM Government. February 2027. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  38. ^ Shaw, Neil (15 July 2024). "Man bags himself a £2million hotel with a £1 deposit". Cambridgeshire Live. Reach plc. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  39. ^ "Willingham House: A Samuel Leeds Hotel". Willingham Hotel Official Website. Willingham House & Co. February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  40. ^ Leeds, Samuel (23 September 2025). "What Is Good About Reform UK? 10 Huge Reasons I Officially Endorse The Reform Party!". Samuel Leeds Official Website. Samuel Leeds Limited. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  41. ^ Ranxburgaj, Elizabeta (5 March 2026). "I chartered private jet to leave Dubai - I don't know why everyone isn't doing it". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  42. ^ "Samuel Leeds (@samuel_leeds) on X". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2025-11-30. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  43. ^ Leeds, Samuel (26 October 2025). "My £20m UK Property Portfolio Revealed". YouTube. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  44. ^ a b "Samuel Leeds Mentioned in SLAPP Parliamentary Debate". YouTube. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  45. ^ Meadows, Sam (18 January 2020). "Exclusive investigation: The property 'guru' leading people into debt in pursuit of 'financial freedom'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  46. ^ Murden, Terry (1 April 2020). "Lord Sugar dismisses mentoring claims as 'fantasy'". Daily Business. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  47. ^ Rasul, Shaf (13 April 2020). "Can't Sugar Coat Property Deals". LinkedIn. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  48. ^ a b "Caseboard: Leeds and another v Burgess and others". Caseboard. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  49. ^ Burgess, Andrew (January 2026). "Property Trainer Sues Autistic Man For £10 Million". CrowdJustice. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  50. ^ Coldwell, Will (24 June 2025). "File on 4 Investigates: The Invincible TikTok Gurus". BBC Sounds. BBC. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  51. ^ "Caseboard: Leeds and another v Warwick". Caseboard. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  52. ^ "Defending myself & counter-suing property trainer Samuel Leeds". CrowdJustice. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  53. ^ Tadd, Nick (14 June 2024). "Samuel Leeds - Vanessa Warwick - Statement ..." Property Tribes. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  54. ^ "Office openings and major moves this week". law.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  55. ^ "Finance (No. 2) Bill". Hansard. HM Government. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
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