He grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and moved aged nine to the small former mill town of Bacup in Lancashire,[11] where he attended the local secondary modern school (Fearns) after failing his eleven-plus exam.
Linney became a partner in a €90 million alternative investment fund providing structured debt and equity financing to small cap public companies.
[citation needed] In 2007, with his business partner Simon Newton, Linney led the buyout of Genesis Communications, a mobile voice and data resale company.
[clarification needed] In June 2016 the business was sold for an undisclosed sum and the company placed into administration, having reached revenues of £10m, but remaining unprofitable.
[citation needed] In 2014, Linney joined the Cabinet Office SME Panel, advising on small and medium business issues.
[16] Linney established the now defunct not-for-profit organisation workinsight.org, a national digital platform that connects young people to local employers.
[25] Linney invested in Wonderbly (formerly Lost My Name), an award winning independent technology and publishing business that offers personalised children's picture books.