Erik Bergman Finds Success in Online Gambling, Focuses on Philanthropy
Erik Bergman is a Swedish entrepreneur who founded two online casino marketing companies. What's his net worth?
Nov. 4 2021, Published 12:28 p.m. ET
Who is Erik Bergman? The Swedish entrepreneur became a multi-millionaire on his 28th birthday when his first company, Catena Media, went public in Stockholm. Catena Media is an online casino marketing firm that brought a $200 million valuation in its IPO. Currently, Bergman runs Great.com, which is an online casino company that donates 100 percent of its profits to charity.
Erik Bergman
Founder of Great.com, Founder of Catena Media
Net worth: $50 million
Erik Bergman is a Swedish-born entrepreneur with expertise in the online casino marketing industry. Catena Media, his first casino marketing business, went public on the Stockholm exchange with a $200 million valuation. He first became a millionaire on its IPO date, earning EUR 11 million. He now runs Great.com, also a casino marketing company that funnels profits to charitable organizations targeting the climate crisis.
Date of Birth: February 11, 1988
Fiancée: Johanna Ekström
Erik Bergman’s casino business
Bergman explored various business ideas as a child and at age 17, he started playing poker. He had grown up fairly poor and enjoyed the luxury of spending his poker earnings until he says that he stopped winning at age 19.
Bergman took some of his passion and expertise in the gambling industry and turned it into a successful business, Catena Media. Although the successful IPO netted Bergman millions in profits, it left him feeling disillusioned about the power and the value of money. “At that moment I realized that life is not about money.”
It isn't clear how much Bergman is worth. His website states that Catena Media earned him $50 million, but he has also continued to earn and invest most of his money in his new business.
Erik Bergman’s philosophy on gambling and charity
Bergman recognizes the irony in running a business based on gambling in order to donate the profits. However, he points out that the gambling industry won't likely disappear. Since Bergman's business expertise is in that realm, he knew that he could be the most successful sticking to that niche.
Bergman wrote on Great.com, “I agree, it’s crazy to combine an industry like gambling which does harm with charity and hope. But, that’s exactly why I believe it’s important. Nobody else, that I know of, is willing to run a casino marketing business that donates 100% of its profits to charity.”
The young entrepreneur wants Great.com to keep growing and bringing in profits to fund important climate change initiatives. “Instead of donating a finite amount of money to charity, I want to build a money machine that will continue to fund the world’s best charities for centuries to come.”
Bergman also has an active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as the Becoming Great podcast.
Great.com wasn't profitable in 2020, but Bergman says that he and his team donated $1.3 million of their own money and also conducted a fundraising campaign to raise another $1 million. The causes supported include climate research, malaria prevention, rainforest protection, and teenage entrepreneurial training in Uganda.
