Dragons’ Den has returned to the BBC with some special guests (Picture: BBC Studios/Simon Pantling)
For most hopefuls on BBC’s The Apprentice, having the opportunity to one day buy Lord Alan Sugar out of your multi-million-pound company might seem like a distant dream.
But for Susie Ma, who went from selling home-made body scrubs in a market stall at the age of 15 to helming health brand Tropic Skincare that has an annual turnover of roughly £68million, this became a reality.
The 37-year-old managed to strike a deal with the business tycoon despite losing to winner Tom Pellereau as one of the final three contestants.
However, speaking to Metro ahead of her appearance on Dragons’ Den as a guest Dragon, Susie revealed how she and Lord Sugar ‘never saw eye to eye’ as partners.
‘Lord Sugar and I reached an amicable decision a few years back and it has felt really liberating because he was an investor, that’s all he did,’ Susie told us.
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‘He invested money in lots of different companies, but he didn’t have the heart for my business. He didn’t wake up in the morning and think what moisturiser should I help Susie develop, or which ambassador should we celebrate?
Susie Ma appeared on Thursday’s episode of Dragons’ Den (Picture: BBC Studios)
The 37-year-old was one of three finalists on The Apprentice, but still struck up a deal with Lord Sugar despite not winning (Picture: BBC)
‘He didn’t care about any of that. He cared about the bottom line and how much dividend he could take from the business, and that doesn’t resonate with founders or owners of businesses… we never really saw eye to eye at the end of each financial year.’
In April 2023 Susie regained full ownership of Tropic Skincare, buying back Lord Sugar’s shares in the business for an undisclosed sum, according to The Times. She also paid herself £20 million in dividends.
Discussing their relationship, she added: ‘We got on fine as he had his fingers in so many pies with so many businesses, and I was just a small part of his empire.
Could you imagine handing back a Dragons’ investment?
‘So when we parted ways I bought him out fully and it just felt like how it should be. Me, the captain, steering the ship by myself, and it felt amazing not having to run decisions past somebody else. So, it does feel like a full circle moment.’
On Thursday night’s episode of Dragons’ Den, Susie – who said being a mother is the ‘hardest job she has ever had’ – invested in a money-saving app for new parents which she claimed is ‘offering a national service’.
‘It’s so nice to invest in a mum-founded business that has real purpose and real heart,’ she said.
‘I don’t think there are enough businesses to help support mothers, and it’s not until you give birth, that you realise how much your life changes.’
In 2023 Susie regained full ownership of her company, buying back Lord Sugar’s shares (Picture: Ray Burminston/PA Wire)
Today, Susie’s company has an annual turnover of roughly £68million (Picture: Nic Serpell-Rand/Shutterstock)
However, the businesswoman revealed that she is ‘unlike’ her fellow Dragons, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, and Steven Bartlett.
‘Prior to Dragons’ Den, I had never invested in another business. My sole source of income is from Tropic, all the other Dragons are investors,’ she said.
‘I’m not going into the show, thinking about how do I make money from these dragons. I’m going and thinking, Do they have the same values as I do? Is their product something that is like something that I believe in? I don’t want to judge a book by its cover.’
Delving into her background and journey, the 37-year-old also explained how her mother invested £200 into her skincare brand when she was 15, and she has since been able to buy her three houses for her in return.
‘It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come from those early days when my mum and I came over to the UK when I was 13 from Australia,’ she said.
‘By the time I was 17 I put a deposit down on a house for my mum and I to move into… Then when I was 21 I actually paid off my mum’s mortgage.’
Dragons Den is available to watch on Thursdays on BBC One at 8pm.
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