Dragons’ Den reject nets £10m from Trunki kids’ suitcases after investors slammed him for wasting time with shoddy bags
A BUDDING entrepreneur who created a rideable suitcase for kids is set to rake in almost £10million after being slammed by investors on Dragons' Den.
Rob Law, then 28, appeared on the show in back in 2006 to pitch his business, and was left red-faced when he left the den empty-handed due to a technical hitch.
The creator, a Northumbria University graduate, asked for a £100,000 investment in Trunki in exchange for 10% of his business, a now-popular kids' suitcase brand sold worldwide.
But he was savagely slammed when Investor Theo Paphitis accidentally pulled the handle off the suitcase, making him question the quality of the product.
"You shouldn’t come here with problems that can be solved," Theo said. "It drives me mad that we waste our time with these things."
Despite this, Rob did get an offer from Australian Dragon Richard Farleigh but for half the asking amount - which saw him boldly turn it down and walk away with nothing.
You shouldn’t come here with problems that can be solved. It drives me mad that we waste our time with these things
Theo Paphitis
And luckily he did because by 2016, ten years after appearing on the show, Trunki had sold more than three million suitcases in over 100 countries around the world, and it reportedly had a turnover of £9.5million by 2018.
Trunki suitcases are now a must-have for families, and Rob has since expanded the business, Magmatic Ltd, offering other children's travel accessories including car seats and backpacks.
Rob first landed a contract with John Lewis to sell his new-design bags, which are now also sold across the UK in stores including Boots, Argos and Amazon.
FABULOUS BINGO: JOIN NOW FOR £1,000 DAILY FREE BINGO
And all of his products are designed in England before being distributed worldwide.
Along with Tangle Teezer, a hairbrush company now worth a whopping £200 million, Rob's rejection has been one of the biggest success stories in the show's history.
And we bet the investors are kicking themselves now as there's not an airport worldwide without one.
Meanwhile, this woman has told: "I set up my £51m skincare business when I was 15 – Lord Sugar fired me on The Apprentice but STILL invested £200k."
For more inspiring stories, we spoke to Molly Robson who set up her first business when she was 18 – now Mrs Hinch has turned her furniture company into a £5m empire.
And Ava May Aromas founder Hannah Chapman says she gave up her job and used all her savings to launch a wax melt company, now it’s worth millions and Mrs Hinch is a fan.