Dragons Den

About Duncan:

This former king of the 99s made money from an ice cream van before moving on to nursing homes and health clubs.

Duncan's career to date

A poverty-stricken childhood steeled Duncan's drive to make his fortune from an early age. After his naval career, which included a spell in military prison, Duncan drifted from job to job ending up in Jersey. It was here that Duncan made the decision to turn his life around.

He began his entrepreneurial life by trading in cars, but it was with an ice cream van purchased for £450 that he changed the course of his life. With 'Duncan's Super Ices', he set out to become the king of the 99 and eventually sold the business for £28,000, founding a nursing home business instead.

He sold his nursing home business for £46 million in 1996. During the last 10 years has expanded into health clubs with the Bannatyne's chain to his name, and also owns bars, hotels and property. Bannatyne's is now the largest independent chain of health clubs in the UK.

Quoted on The Sunday Times 2008 Rich List as having wealth to the tune of £310m, 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.

A Dragon in the Den since the first series, he recently appeared on a BBC Two programme Duncan Bannatyne Takes On Tobacco when he visited Africa to investigate the tactics used by big tobacco companies in selling cigarettes to children.

Duncan has six children and he and his family have properties in England and France.