The Student Who Bought a Meme Page for 200k and Built LBG Media, a Multi-Billion Baht Media Empire /By Longtunman
What can 200,000 Baht get you?
For some, it might be a modest savings pot, an initial investment, or the seed capital for a small business.
But for Alexander Solomou, it was the price of a shortcut to a multi-billion baht business.
Starting with the purchase of a small meme page while he was still a university student, he has transformed it into the LBG Media empire. Today, it boasts over 500 million followers and generates a staggering 28 billion views per year.
The company eventually listed on the London Stock Exchange, with its market valuation peaking at 17,000 million Baht, before currently settling at around 5,500 million Baht.
How did a simple meme page evolve into a multi-billion baht enterprise?
Longtunman will explain.
Back in 2012, Alexander Solomou, a British business student at the University of Leeds, spotted a massive opportunity in the rapid growth of Facebook.
He wanted to enter the online media business and used approximately 220,000 Baht to acquire a page called LADbible, which already had a following of 500,000 accounts.
Initially, he maintained the page’s original direction: posting meme images and videos that resonated with young male audiences.
However, Solomou soon discovered a key insight into online behavior: most people didn't want to read long-form news or click through to external websites.
Instead, users preferred consuming viral content and "sharing" it with their friends instantly.
Furthermore, the Facebook algorithm prioritized posts with high engagement, pushing this type of content directly onto more users' feeds.
LADbible then shifted its strategy to a "Social-First" approach. Every piece of content was specifically designed to live on the feed, featuring concise messaging intended to make people stop scrolling and hit share.
Subsequently, Solomou built his own production team to create diverse content formats, including news, articles, infographics, videos, podcasts, and exclusive interviews.
He also expanded into other popular platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat, tailoring the content style to suit each specific channel.
Beyond that, he began creating or acquiring additional pages to expand the business portfolio and cover a broader consumer market.
For example:
UNILAD: Global viral content.
UNILAD Tech: Technology made easy.
SPORTbible: Stories from the sporting world.
GAMINGbible: Gaming and entertainment.
FOODbible: Mouth-watering food content.
Tyla: Beauty and lifestyle for modern women.
Lessons Learned in Life: Inspirational quotes and life lessons.
As a result, the LADbible group can produce over 300 pieces of content per day, ensuring their viral posts appear on social media feeds almost around the clock.
The outcome is impressive: today, they have a combined total of 509 million followers worldwide across all platforms, with the United States being their primary market at approximately 143 million accounts.
With over 28 billion views annually, it is no surprise that this massive attention translates into enormous revenue.
Brands are willing to pay significant sums for LADbible’s pages to create "native" content that blends seamlessly into a user's feed.
By using storytelling or challenges that subtly integrate products, these ads feel more entertaining and are easier to remember than traditional advertising.
At the same time, every post serves as a data source. By analyzing what people like or share at any given moment, the company can instantly understand social media trends.
This allows them to refine their content to meet the needs of both their audience and their clients with incredible speed.
Financial Performance of LBG Media Plc (Owner of LADbible Group)
Year 2024
Revenue: 3,700 million Baht
Profit: 620 million Baht
Year 2025
Revenue: 4,000 million Baht
Profit: 600 million Baht
LBG Media went public on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, in 2021.
Initially, the company’s valuation soared to approximately 17,000 million Baht, though it has since adjusted to its current level of 5,500 million Baht.
However, this business model comes with risks that require caution.
LADbible relies heavily on social media platforms. If a platform owner changes their policy or algorithm, it could result in a significant loss of organic reach.
Additionally, the industry has low barriers to entry. New competitors can emerge at any time, as anyone has the potential to create viral content overnight.
The story of LADbible demonstrates that:
The winner in the social media era isn't necessarily the one with the most detailed content, but the one who can capture attention and spark a share faster than anyone else.
In a world of information overload, human attention has become the most valuable currency for online media—a game that LADbible understands and plays exceptionally well.
This is precisely why a small, newly founded meme page has been able to grow into a global giant with over 500 million followers today.