Theo Paphitis is the Dragon associated with the British retail chain Ryman.
Paphitis acquired Ryman, the stationery retailer, in 1995. He later became known for building a portfolio of retail and consumer businesses, including Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue. His experience made retail strategy, branding and store operations recurring themes in his Dragon's Den questions.
He joined the BBC programme as an investor during its early period and became one of its most recognisable Dragons. On the show, he was often associated with practical scrutiny of margins, distribution and whether an entrepreneur understood the retail market.
Ryman is sometimes confused with businesses linked to other Dragons because the programme has featured many retail entrepreneurs. The key connection is ownership and business leadership: Paphitis’s public profile was closely tied to the stationery chain before and during his television career.