Doug Richard was the American entrepreneur among the original Dragons' Den investors who left after the second series. He appeared on the programme's first two series, beginning with its 2005 launch.
Richard was a technology entrepreneur and angel investor. Before and after Dragons' Den, he was associated with backing and advising growing businesses, particularly in technology and online commerce.
The original panel also included Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis and Rachel Elnaugh. Richard's departure helped establish the changing nature of the programme's investor lineup, as later series introduced new dragons to the BBC audience.
This fact is easy to confuse with other early departures because several original investors eventually left the regular panel. The key detail is that Richard was the American member and departed after series two, rather than remaining for the programme's later period.