A businessman who recently appeared on an episode of BBC series Dragons’ Den died at his home at the age of 36 on Sunday (October 23). Drew Cockton had secured a £50,000 investment from Touker Suleyman in his vegan scented candle business. The cause of death is unknown. Mr Cockton’s death was announced by his mother via an official Facebook post. Her tribute reads: “We are truly, utterly heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Drew Peter George Cockton (my gorgeous boy) died peacefully at home yesterday.We are devastated beyond belief. Life is never, ever going to be the same again. Rest Peacefully darling boy." People may recognise Drew Cockton from his appearance on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. The entrepreneur was in search of investment in his vegan candle business called Owen Drew when he entered the Den in 2021. The 36-year-old was also the founder of the North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards. His passing comes just days after the second iteration of the ceremony was held in front of hundreds of guests at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel on Friday (October 21). A number of friends and family from across Merseyside and beyond have paid tribute to Drew. Liverpool business journalist Tony McDonough called him a “class act” on his Twitter post: “I’d only known Drew Cockton since early in 2020. I wrote an article on his business, Owen Drew, just the kind of article I do every day. Next day he had a beautiful gift-wrapped scented candle delivered to my home as a thank you. He was a class act.” The Wirral-based entrepreneur had vast amounts of experience in business throughout the 36 years of his life, opening a hotel firm in Manchester when he was just 22-years-old. After establishing Owen Drew, he has seen successes such as celebrity endorsements from the likes of Paris Hilton, and selling the world’s most expensive candle ever to celebrate Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding in 2017. It retailed for £750. He also revealed during his time on the show that he has long suffered with his mental health and was diagnosed with bipolar: “I was totally inexperienced. I was working so hard that I actually made myself quite ill and had a breakdown and I was diagnosed with bipolar. I think my family were a bit worried because they saw that happening again but it hasn’t. That’s why wellness is so important to me." The businessman went on to have quite the success on his brief appearance on Dragons’ Den, securing a hefty investment in his candle business from millionaire Touker Suleyman. The agreed-upon offer was a lucrative £50,000 cash injection for 30-percent of Drew Cockton’s business, with Mr Suleyman reducing his stake to 25-percent once his investment was repaid in 18-months.
