The Dragon's Den from BBC TV
Duncan Bannatyne
Top pitching tip - Know your numbers, know your percentages.
Cardinal pitching sin - The very worst thing you can ever do is arrive late.
Motto - You only live once. If you don't enjoy it, it's your fault, nobody else's.
A poverty-stricken childhood steeled Duncan's drive to make his fortune from an early age. He began his entrepreneurial life by trading in cars, but it was with an ice cream van that he changed the course of his life - setting out to become the king of the '99'.
He then switched to nursing homes, becoming a multi-millionaire in the process. Since then Duncan has built up a chain of health clubs and also owns Bannatyne's Casino, Bar and Hotels.
Estimated to be worth more than £170m, Duncan holds an OBE and was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from Glasgow Caledonian University for services to business and charity.
He was also North Region Entrepreneur of the Year 2003.
