# #382: From Plumber to £148M Exit: Charlie Mullins on Grit, Failure & Building an Empire

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/made-in-dubai-with-spencer-lodge-1158354/382-from-plumber-to-148m-exit-charlie-mullins-on-grit-failure-building-an-empire
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/made-in-dubai-with-spencer-lodge-1158354/382-from-plumber-to-148m-exit-charlie-mullins-on-grit-failure-building-an-empire.md
Podcast: [Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge](https://stenobird.com/podcast/made-in-dubai-with-spencer-lodge-1158354)
Published: 2026-01-26T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://spencerlodge.libsyn.com/382-from-plumber-to-148m-exit-charlie-mullins-on-grit-failure-building-an-empire
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/spencerlodge/FULL_AUDIO_-_Charlie_Mullins_x_Spencer_Lodge_-_Made_in_Dubai_-_AUDIO.mp3?dest-id=974060
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/made-in-dubai-with-spencer-lodge-1158354/episodes/382-from-plumber-to-148m-exit-charlie-mullins-on-grit-failure-building-an-empire
Duration seconds: 4229

## Resource

Charlie Mullins is a deeply contradictory and complex figure - from a deprived council-estate childhood in south London to founding a plumbing empire, cashing out for £148 million and remaking himself as a global-living, politically outspoken tycoon. He embodies both the grit of old-school trades and the excesses of modern wealth. His post-sale life is marked by public provocation - from giant anti-Brexit signs to incendiary social media posts, and threats to relocate his wealth abroad which are now in force as he is here to get his residency. His journey offers a potent lens: success, escape, conflict, and reinvention, but also tension, moral ambiguity. He is confrontational, outspoken and a political provocateur. 2:40 – Charlie's childhood 6:03 – Plumber apprenticeship 09:56 – Bill, the man Charlie looked up to 17:28 – The importance of apprenticeships 20:22 – Success is simple 21:58 – Nearly going bankrupt 25:34 – Selling for 148 million 26:19 – Charlie's regrets 32:17 – People pay for quality 40:53 – London is unsafe 45:16 – The importance of having a job 50:08 – Coming to Dubai 54:15 – Favorite things about Dubai 57:31 – Youngsters don't have a future in the UK 1:02:53 – An opinion that would break the internet 1:04:43 – Harshest truth about success 1:07:25 – Charlie's message to Bill Show Sponsors: AYS Developers: A design-focused company dedicated to crafting exceptional homes, vibrant communities, and inspiring lifestyle experiences. https://bit.ly/AYS-Developers Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/Spence…

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