Are you a fan of Dragons' Den? The BBC show, which has been on screens for nearly 20 years, gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to change their lives and become outrageously successful businessmen and women.
The show has seen various businesspeople enter in a bid to secure an investment from the fearsome dragons. Since the show's inception, we have seen 22 dragons on the panel offering their cash to prospective entrepreneurs. But have you ever wondered how the dragons made their fortunes?
HELLO! has done some investigating and here's what we found out...
© BBC/Simon PantlingPeter Jones
Peter Jones has always had an eye for business and started his first at age 16, setting up a tennis coaching school. However, the road to success hasn't always been easy; at one point, he had to move back in with his parents after a deal went wrong.
By the time he'd turned 28, Peter was forced to start from scratch and decided to join a large corporation. By the end of the year, he was running the business in the UK. In 1998, Peter founded Phones International Group – now known as Data Select – which scored £14 million in sales after the first year of trading, and an eye-watering £44 million in its second.
Nowadays, Peter works closely with his investment group, PGI, contributing to 100 businesses across publishing, media, television & entertainment, technology, food products, retail and the environment. He's also established the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy – a flagship program designed to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs in schools and colleges.
The business mogul was one of the original dragons on the show when it first aired in 2005. He has previously spoken about the important impact being part of the show has had on his life. "My role on Dragons' Den since 2005 has been a very important part of my life and has helped me achieve a number of personal goals, not least the creation of the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy," he penned on his official website.
The fearless dragon boasts an estimated net worth of £1.286 billion as of 2024, putting him at spot 133 in The Sunday Times Rich List.
© BBC/Simon PantlingSara Davies
Sara Davies made her fortune in the crafting sector. In 2005, when she was just a student, she founded Crafter's Companion from her university bedroom. Spotting a gap in the market for an envelope-making tool for card makers, Sara decided to invent one herself!
With the help of her engineer dad and husband Simon, she grew the business from a kitchen table startup to a £37million business that now sells thousands of crafting must-haves all over the world.
The star joined her fellow dragons back in 2019 and, at the time, she was the youngest dragon to ever be on the panel. The entrepreneur originally replaced fellow businesswoman Jenny Campbell, who departed the show after two years.
Sara's net worth is estimated to be around £37 million.
© BBC/Simon PantlingDeborah Meaden
Deborah Meaden launched her first business - a glass and ceramics import company - when she was just 19. It became hugely successful, supplying the likes of department store Harvey Nichols, but it was in leisure parks that Deborah really made her fortune.
She became Managing Director of Weststar Holidays in the nineties, and worked tirelessly before selling the company in 1991 for £33million. She also continues to make money as a full-time investor.
Deborah joined Dragon's Den in its third series taking over from Rachel Elnaugh in August 2006.
The star's net worth is estimated to be a whopping £50 million, according to Financhill.
© BBC/Simon PantlingSteven Bartlett
Most of Steven Bartlett's money comes from being the founder and CEO of the social media marketing agency, The Social Chain. He founded the company in 2014 with Dom McGregor after dropping out of university.
The Social Chain now reaches over 200 million millennials across all platforms. The company also has global clients including Apple, McDonald's and the BBC. Steven has even become a Sunday Times Bestselling author with his book, Happy Sexy Millionaire.
In 2023, three years after he stepped down as CEO, Steven sold The Social Chain for £7.7million. Today, he splits his time between his hugely successful podcast, Diary of a CEO, and his software platform, Thirdweb, which makes it easy to build web3 applications. Steven remains an accomplished investor.
Steven is the latest recruit to join the lineup of business leaders. He made his debut on the show in 2022 and at just 28, remains the youngest dragon to do so.
Steven's net worth is estimated to be £68 million as of September 2023.
© BBC/Simon PantlingTouker Suleyman
Touker Suleyman is best known as the founder of the quintessentially British menswear brand Hawes & Curtis and is credited with reinventing the seminal 90s womenswear label, Ghost.
But before that, he was working in accountancy. Realising it wasn't for him, the retail mogul entered into a joint venture with a leather factory and soon after, established a clothing manufacturer supplying some of the biggest names on the British high street.
Touker joined his fellow dragons in 2015 and is reportedly worth a staggering £200 million, according to Mail Online.
