Stephen Fitzpatrick
Stephen Fitzpatrick (born c. 1978) is a Belfast-born entrepreneur who founded OVO Energy in 2009 with a personal investment of £350,000, building it into the United Kingdom's largest independent energy retailer serving over 5 million households, primarily with renewable electricity.[1][2] A graduate of the University of Edinburgh in business and finance, Fitzpatrick previously worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and launched a property newspaper before entering the energy sector amid the global financial crisis.[1] He has expanded his portfolio to include Kaluza, a software company developing platforms for low-carbon energy systems, and Vertical Aerospace, established in 2015 to pioneer all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft for urban air mobility, securing partnerships with entities such as Rolls-Royce and Honeywell.[2][1] His efforts have positioned him as one of Northern Ireland's wealthiest individuals, with a net worth estimated at £2.212 billion in 2023, though his companies have faced scrutiny over financial practices including inter-company loans and customer communications during the 2022 energy crisis.[1]