A living epitome of the classic rags to riches story, Billy Eldridge has indeed led an inspiring run so far. From a small-town boy, he is now walking in the same alley as some of his generation’s most successful entrepreneurs, models, athletes, and socialites. Billy is thriving in all of his creative and business ventures. But what he considers to be the highlight of his career is being the co-founder of the Left Behind Foundation, allowing him to change the lives of orphans in some of the most remote corners of China.
From his adventures and travels as a model, Billy saw how the other half of the world lives. He has led a jet-setter lifestyle from working with prominent fashion brands, but Billy never allowed the fame to block his view of what truly matters–helping. While working across China, Billy saw how impoverished life was for rural orphans every day. Hence, he has committed to donating much of his earnings to charity to support orphans in rural China. While he currently thrives as an entrepreneur and model, Billy’s long-term goal is to fully become a philanthropist and extend his arms to more organizations and causes.
Besides co-founding the Left Behind Foundation, Billy is also the CEO of a SaaS company that is currently leading the FinTech space. He is also a part-owner of a gold mine in South America. On top of that, he has walked the runways of some of today’s most celebrated designers. His modeling career has been steadily propelling since he was first discovered by America’s Next Top Model host Nole Marin while walking down a busy street in New York.
Contrary to his life of luxury today, Billy Eldridge came from humble beginnings. He was formerly living in a small town and only had enough means to cover daily expenses. Any excess for him was a sheer extravagance.
But, terrified of working the nine-to-five job for the rest of his life, Billy persevered to establish his own path towards what he considers to be an exciting and worthwhile future. Billy used to play basketball for England. Before that, he landed a basketball scholarship in the United States, modeled across the globe for well-established brands, and took up a Master’s degree at the University College London. After such endeavors, Billy moved to Hong Kong to start several businesses. Finally, he moved back to London, being the accomplished man he is today.
Following his parent’s divorce, Billy Eldridge had to move to a small hotel his grandparents own with his mother and brother. “I’ll admit it sounds luxurious, but it wasn’t hugely successful, and was in the middle of nowhere with only twelve rooms,” he shared. “My Dad was a waste of space and never did anything for the family. After the divorce, we would only see him on a Sunday for the first six months and then never saw him after that,” he added.
Billy Eldridge also recalled how his father missed birthdays and important celebrations and eventually stopped child support altogether. As he began having the means to help from his basketball career, modeling, and entrepreneurial ventures, Billy felt that no other children should feel the same way. Hence, he is determined to solely focus on philanthropic works and use his influence as an advantage to gain support from celebrities, influencers, and other A-listers to also get on the same boat. Learn more about Billy Eldridge and The Left Behind Foundation on their website.
