Theo Paphitis was born in Cyprus and later became an investor on the British television show Dragons' Den.
Paphitis was born in Limassol, Cyprus, in 1959 and moved with his family to the United Kingdom during childhood. He built his reputation in British retail, notably through Ryman, and later became associated with several consumer-facing businesses. That combination of immigrant family history and large-scale retail entrepreneurship forms an important part of his public biography.
This fact is sometimes mixed up with the biographies of other Dragons who were born outside England or who built international businesses. Paphitis's Cypriot birthplace is specific: he was born in Limassol, not in the United Kingdom. His later television role brought that established retail expertise to the investor panel.