Touker Suleyman is known for his smart investments on Dragons’ Den, but one time a purchase went so badly wrong he had to sell his house.
The disastrous investment, which saw Touker swallow a bunch of lies about its financial stability, saw the Dragon sell his house. He says he was lucky he had family to pick him back up.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman, his career and personal life, and that one disaster investment.
Where is Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman from and where does he live now?
Touker was born in Cyprus on August 4, 1953. He is 70 years old at the time of writing. His Northern Cypriot family moved to the UK in 1958 following the troubles there.
His family relocated to Bermondsey, London, where they started a restaurant business.
Speaking about his family, Touker said: “I saw how hard they worked. I think I always had it in my blood to be an entrepreneur at a very young age.”
The young Touker studied at Peckham Manor secondary school, despite not knowing any English when he arrived in the UK. Nonetheless, he achieved eight O Levels.
Touker currently lives in London.
Health issues
Touker famously missed part of the 2019 series of Dragons’ Den after contracting pneumonia, with Theo Paphitis stepping in for him. He later told The Telegraph he was given just 24 hours to live. He recovered, but that same year, he returned to intensive care and “virtually died”.
It wasn’t the first time he’d had a serious medical incident. At just 10 years old, Touker suffered from a hand infection that left him unable to complete a full year of schooling. While he was in hospital, doctors thought they would have to amputate the hand altogether.
In 2023, Touker told the entrepreneur behind durable pill case company Tabuu that he’d be a potential customer. He said: “I had a bad illness a few years ago so I’m on blood thinners, hydrocortisone, cholesterol, you name it I take it. But I’m healthy thank god.”
What is Touker Suleyman’s business?
Touker’s big business successes have most famously come in the fashion industry. It all started when he bought clothes for his grandmother, who began selling them on to friends. They began selling out, and Touker had to buy more and more.
From there, Touker bought a leather factory and then founded a women’s clothing supplier called Kingsland Models.
He then tried his luck for the first time in the stock market. His first investment, clothing supplier Mellins, was a success, with shares climbing from 3p to 360p. His second, Bamber Stores, was a massive failure, after Touker discovered the business had falsified its records and were actually in massive debt. He told The Telegraph this was his “worst financial decision” and “I was very lucky that I had a family that could help me”. He had to sell his house in Highgate to pay off the debt. With Mellins also now struggling for cash, Touker was forced to start again.
In 1984, Touker acquired the a small cash-and-carry business that became the Low Profile Group. This was his best financial decision, says Touker. Low Profile Group was a clothing manufacturer supplying clients such as Marks & Spencer. After moving the manufacturing side of the business to Turkey, Low Profile Group began investing in property.
In 2000, Touker acquired struggling British fashion brand Hawes & Curtis for £1. The company was £500,000 in debt. By 2014 – under Touker’s leadership – the brand had a turnover of £30 million and 30 UK stores.
In 2008, he acquired UK fashion label Ghost, saving the company from going into administration and safeguarding 142 jobs.
What has Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman invested in?
Touker is a known investor in bicycle marketplace Bikesoup, baby toy company Matchstick Monkey and dental care company Sonisk.
Touker’s also made plenty of notable investments since starting at Dragons’ Den! These include motorbike apparel brand Bobhead, plush toy brand Mood Bears, and baby furniture company Little Hoppa.
View this post on Instagram
Is Touker Suleyman married and does he have kids?
Touker has not spoken publicly about his love life and is not thought to be currently married. He has, however, mentioned his daughters Taya and Tashia on social media, where he describes himself as a “proud Daddy”.
At the time of writing, Tashia is 25 years old and Taya is 21 years old. Tashia is a freelance stylist, while Taya is a University of Edinburgh student.
Touker also has a pet dog called Lucy, and he regularly documents their walks to Hyde Park together on Instagram.
How rich is Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman?
Although not quite as rich as his billionaire co-star Peter Jones, Touker is still the second richest of the current Dragons’ Den line-up.
In 2015, The Sunday Times put Touker at 637 on its rich list. They estimated his net worth to be more than £200 million.
Read more: Dragons’ Den controversies – ‘Fakery’ row, sexist pitch and offering to buy a baby
Dragons’ Den continues on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One.
Are you a fan of Touker Suleyman on Dragons’ Den? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and then let us know