Five investors made up the original Dragon's Den panel in the British series.
The launch panel consisted of Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard. They represented different business backgrounds and gave the opening series its recognisable five-seat arrangement.
The panel format allowed several Dragons to question a pitch and, occasionally, to combine their money in a joint offer. It also created the possibility that an entrepreneur might receive competing offers or have to choose between investors with different expertise.
Later series changed the line-up repeatedly, so the original five should not be confused with every Dragon who has appeared in the programme. For example, Deborah Meaden joined after the first series, while other investors entered and left in subsequent years. The answer concerns the launch panel, not the number of Dragons who have appeared across the entire programme.