Deborah Meaden has found her way into the conversation again, her latest appearance on BBC’s flagship business reality TV show, “Dragon’s Den” generated lots of conversation online.
Deborah has appeared on the show multiple times as an investor, in her latest appearance, she withdraws her £75,000 investment offer after entrepreneurs tried to negotiate.
She took the audience by surprise! Before her ultimate decision to withdraw the investment, she listened to the business ideas of the entrepreneurs and said she was willing to invest, as the entrepreneurs started negotiating, she withdrew her investment, which shocked viewers.
Who is Deborah Meaden?
Deborah Sonia Meaden is a British businesswoman and TV personality who is famous for her appearances as a ‘Dragon’ on the BBC business program Dragons’ Den.
Meaden was born in Taunton, Somerset, and moved to Brightlingsea in Essex after her parent’s divorce.
She attended the Godolphin School in Salisbury and Trowbridge High School for Girls, which she left at the age of 16.
After leaving school, Meaden studied business at Brighton Technical College and worked as a sales-room model in a fashion house. She then set up a glass and ceramics export agency in Italy, which failed after 18 months.
Later, she bought one of the first Stefanel textile franchises in the UK, which was based in the West Country, and sold out two years later to her partner for £10,000.
Meaden then had several successful leisure and retail businesses, including a spell operating a Prize Bingo at Butlins in Minehead.
In 1988, Meaden joined her family’s business to run its amusement arcade operations, and in 1992, she joined Weststar Holidays, a family holiday park operator based in Exeter, Devon.
In 1999, she led a management buyout and acquired the majority shareholding.
By the time she sold the company six years later, Weststar was providing holidays for more than 150,000 people each year with an EBITDA in excess of £11 million.
She made a partial exit in 2005 when Weststar was sold to Phoenix Equity Partners for £33 million and a complete exit in 2007 when the firm was sold to Alchemy Partners for £83 million.
In 2009, Meaden acquired Fox Brothers, a West Country textile mill established in 1772, and launched ‘The Merchant Fox’, an online store selling British-made luxury goods with provenance.
Meaden is known for her appearances as an investor (‘dragon’) on the BBC Two series Dragons’ Den.
She took over from Rachel Elnaugh in the third series in August 2006 and has agreed on investments through this route in 63 businesses to a value of over £3.3 million.
Meaden also participated in the eleventh series of the BBC One dancing show Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, where she was partnered with professional dancer Robin Windsor. She was eliminated from the show on 26 October.
Deborah Meaden Net worth
As a businesswoman who has lived most part of her life already, Deborah Meaden Net worth is estimated to be about $6o million according to wealthygorilla.
It is not surprising for her to have such a net worth, as a businesswoman, Deborah has opened and run many businesses worldwide, notable of her businesses include Stefanel, Weststar Holidays, The Merchant Fox, etc.
Aiva Arthur
