Bullied boy who said he’d ‘never make a difference’ makes thousands in bedroom deals

Savvy teenager Sam Badger, 17, who made a staggering £20,000 selling personalized phone cases from his bedroom in Tamworth, Staffordshire, was bullied at primary school and told he was no good

A teenage entrepreneur with autism who was told he would never succeed has made a staggering £20,000 selling phone cases from the bedroom of his family home.

Sam Badger, 17, from Tamworth in Staffordshire, started OnTheCase4U just 18 months ago and has since processed over 4,000 personalized cases.

The savvy teenager has even opened a vending machine selling his products at the Bullring shopping center in Birmingham. Birmingham Live reports.

Sam’s designs have taken the internet by storm – and he’s garnered almost 600,000 followers on TikTok with his popular videos – which have been viewed almost 20 million times.

The 17-year-old found a niche in the market after trying to find a phone case for himself online.

He then founded OnTheCase4U, which offers high-quality, customizable phone cases.

Working with his mother, Sam uses a printing press to transfer unique designs onto blank cases before shipping them to customers.

After being bullied in elementary school and being told he would never make a difference, Sam – who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of seven – said he wanted to “inspire” children with learning disabilities.

“I was pretty bullied in elementary school and the teachers didn’t have a clue about my autism,” Sam said.

“I want to help raise awareness and show parents of autistic children that their children can do great things.”

“I had a rough start at most schools with a lot of naughty behavior but I always knew I was capable of things.

“People told me that I would never be successful or that I had no potential, but I used that as extra motivation.

“And now I’ve turned things around and put the same energy that I used to be bold into my business, and I’m committed to making it work.”

Sam, who goes to a specialized high school, never studied business but developed a “unique” approach to selling his cases using vending machines.

In just a few weeks he has already made nearly £300 from his place on the Bullring and plans to open more machines at Manchester’s Arndale Shopping Center and Piccadilly train station.

“If you’re looking for a case, you want it now,” the teenager said.

“You don’t want to have to wait for postage.

“So I thought, why not conveniently get it into people’s malls so they can get it there and then? It’s just so much more convenient.”

Over the past 18 months, Sam’s business has thrived – but the teenager says empowering people with learning disabilities is “much more important” to him than making a profit.

“There is a lot of untapped potential in the autistic community,” he said.

“Many parents of children with autism and ADHD say their children are not encouraged enough to be successful. And I’ve gotten autistic people on TikTok telling me they’ve been forced to give up their hobbies and not pursue their passions.

“I hope my story inspires them not to give up no matter what anyone says.”