From Apprentice Contestant to Full Ownership: Susie Ma's Business Journey
For most participants on BBC's The Apprentice, the prospect of eventually buying out Lord Alan Sugar from a multi-million-pound enterprise might appear as a far-fetched fantasy. However, Susie Ma transformed this vision into reality, progressing from selling homemade body scrubs at a market stall when she was just fifteen years old to leading the health and beauty brand Tropic Skincare, which now boasts an approximate annual turnover of sixty-eight million pounds.
A Liberating Business Decision
Speaking exclusively to Metro ahead of her guest appearance on Dragons' Den, the thirty-seven-year-old entrepreneur disclosed that she and Lord Sugar "never saw eye to eye" as business 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 explained. "He invested money in lots of different companies, but he didn't have the heart for my business."
She elaborated that the business tycoon did not wake up each morning contemplating which moisturizer to help develop or which brand ambassador to celebrate. Instead, his focus remained squarely on the bottom line and the dividends he could extract from the enterprise. "That doesn't resonate with founders or owners of businesses," Susie noted, adding that they consistently failed to see eye to eye at the conclusion of each financial year.
The Buyout and Financial Windfall
In April 2023, according to reports from The Times, Susie regained complete ownership of Tropic Skincare by purchasing Lord Sugar's shares for an undisclosed sum. Concurrently, she distributed twenty million pounds in dividends to herself. Reflecting on their professional relationship, she remarked, "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."
"When we parted ways, I bought him out fully, and it just felt like how it should be," Susie continued. "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."
Dragons' Den Debut and Investment Philosophy
During her appearance on Thursday night's episode of Dragons' Den, Susie invested in a money-saving application designed for new parents, which she described as "offering a national service." As a mother herself, she expressed enthusiasm for supporting mum-founded businesses with genuine purpose and heart. "I don't think there are enough businesses to help support mothers, and it's not until you give birth that you realize how much your life changes," she stated.
However, Susie emphasized that her approach to investment differs significantly from that of her fellow Dragons, including 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 revealed.
"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."
Humble Beginnings and Family Support
Delving into her personal history, Susie recounted how her mother invested two hundred pounds into her skincare brand when she was fifteen years old. In return, she has since purchased three houses for her mother. "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 thirteen from Australia," she reflected.
"By the time I was seventeen, I put a deposit down on a house for my mum and I to move into. Then when I was twenty-one, I actually paid off my mum's mortgage." This remarkable journey underscores her dedication and the profound impact of familial support in her entrepreneurial success.
