Theo Paphitis was the first investor to join the original five-member panel on the BBC series Dragon's Den.
The programme began with an initial group of five Dragons, but the panel later expanded as investors departed and new business figures arrived. Paphitis joined the series after its launch and became one of its most recognisable investors, known for his direct questioning and retail experience.
Paphitis is a British retail entrepreneur whose business interests included Ryman, the stationery retailer. His commercial background shaped the kind of questions he asked about margins, distribution and the practical route from a promising product to a scalable business.
This fact concerns the order in which Dragons joined the programme. It is not the same as asking who was the first Dragon shown making an investment, or who was the first person to leave the panel.