Deborah Meaden acquired Weststar Holidays in 1999.
Weststar Holidays was a holiday business that Meaden bought as part of her development as an entrepreneur. The acquisition helped build the commercial background that later made her a prominent investor on Dragons' Den.
Meaden became associated with consumer businesses, leisure and tourism, and she has often been described as a self-made businesswoman. Her television role brought that experience into a public setting, where she evaluated entrepreneurs' claims about markets, margins and growth.
The year is sometimes confused with the date of her later television appearances. Her business career began well before she joined the Dragons' Den panel, so the 1999 acquisition belongs to her pre-programme entrepreneurial history.