Theo Paphitis was known for the company Ryman before joining Dragon's Den.
Paphitis became associated with Ryman, the British stationery retailer, after acquiring the business in the 1990s. He later served as one of the original Dragons when the BBC programme launched in 2005. His retail background shaped the practical questions he asked about products, pricing, distribution and customer demand.
Ryman was founded in 1893 by Henry Ryman as a stationery business. Under Paphitis's ownership, it became part of a broader retail portfolio. His commercial career also included interests in lingerie, retail property and other consumer-facing businesses.
Paphitis left the Dragon's Den panel after the early series, but he remained a prominent British entrepreneur and broadcaster. He is sometimes confused with Peter Jones because both were original investors, yet their business backgrounds were different: Paphitis was especially linked with high-street retail and Ryman.