Brian Kelly Net Worth: How Rich is ‘The Points Guy’ Owner?

Brian Kelly is an American business executive best known as the founder and CEO of the travel website, The Points Guy. The website produces sponsored news and stories on travel using airline points, politics, and credit card points. As of 2023, Brian Kelly net worth is estimated to be around $50 million.

Who is Brian Kelly?

Brian Kelly is a travel guru who founded the trust travel and lifestyle media platform, The Points Guy (TPG). The website helps people maximize their lives and travel the world through loyalty programs and credit card points. Brian previously worked as a director at Morgan Stanley.

Kelly was born in 1984 in the United States of America. Not much is unveiled regarding his early life, parents, and upbringing. Regarding his study, he attended the University of Pittsburgh in 2001 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Economics in 2005. 

Brian Kelly Net Worth & Career

 

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Brian Kelly started his career as an executive trainee and assistant buyer at Lord & Taylor in February 2006. He worked as an executive trainee for over a year and left the job in February 2007. Then, he was promoted to Manager of Executive Recruitment and College Relations in February 2007.

In August 2007, he left Lord & Taylor and started working as Director at Morgan Stanley. There, he was responsible for technology campus recruiting and also took the initiative in firmwide LGBT recruiting. Moreover, he looked after an informal travel agency-type operation for his colleagues and helped them maximize their return on earned travel reward points.

Kelly was still working at Morgan Stanley when he launched The Points Guy blog in 2010. He reviewed travelers’ frequent flyer miles, travel goals, and credit card points at that time. After that, he continued booking vacations and then started monetizing content through affiliate marketing in February 2011.

After he started generating enough sources of income through affiliate marketing he quit his job at Morgan Stanley. Bankrate later acquired the company in 2012. He mentioned in an interview that even after the acquisition he retained 100% editorial control and has a vested ownership interest in TPG.

The Points Guy then increased its growth by taking over the competitors such as Travel is Free, Million Mile Secrets, and Mommy Points. The company eventually started Points for Peace in 2016 with a partnership with a nonprofit organization, PeaceJam Foundation.

In 2017, the digital marketing company acquired Bankrate. In September 2021, TPG released an app to track airline points and miles across multiple airlines. A year later, the company preemptively sued American Airlines, asking a Delaware court to legalize for customers to manage their frequent flyer data on third-party websites.

Subsequently, the American Airlines suit against TPG in a federal court in Texas. The Airlines claimed that TPG’s app violation in its trademark and other terms of its frequent flyer program. Kelly has grown the company into a powerhouse travel and lifestyle media platform since he launched the company in 2010. He also has an experienced team of distinguished editors and freelancers worldwide. 

Brian Kelly’s Wife & Personal Life

Brian Kelly became a father of a baby boy named Dean James Kelly via surrogate in October 2022. He shared the good news via his Instagram on October 10, 2022, with the caption “I never knew there was a love like this before, welcome to the world Dean James Kelly, and fastens your seatbelt you’re in for quite an adventure”.

Some sources revealed that he is engaged to his now fiance named Jorge. Kelly was accused of fostering a toxic work environment, including abusive behavior and drug use toward staff in 2020. However, he clearly denied all allegations of drug use and sexual harassment.

Brian Kelly Net Worth

Brian Kelly has earned an estimated net worth of $50 million as of 2023. He reportedly charges a $50 fee for reviewing the flyer miles and credit card points submitted by novices on a form with their travel goals. The Points Guy currently has over 4 million readers and two million social followers. Kelly has also been working with a nonprofit, Rainbow Railroad, and has donated 200,000 miles and points to help refugees escape and resettle in Chechnya.