Dragons' Den investor Alan Sugar was appointed a knight bachelor in 2000.
The honour recognised Sugar’s services to business. A knighthood is formally conferred by the monarch, and “knight bachelor” is the traditional rank for a man knighted without membership in a specific order of chivalry. Sugar therefore became Sir Alan Sugar after the honour was announced.
The date is often confused with later milestones in his public career, including his appointment to the House of Lords in 2009. It is also separate from his 2001 appointment as chairman of the government’s enterprise panel. Sugar’s earlier business success came mainly through Amstrad, while his later television appearances made the title familiar to a much wider audience.