- Source of Wealth: Leisure (Family holiday)
- Age: 60
- Birth Place: Somerset, England
- Marital Status: Married (Paul Meaden)
- Full Name: Deborah Sonia Meaden
- Nationality: United Kingdom
- Date of Birth: February 11, 1959
- Occupation: Businesswoman
- Education: Trowbridge Highschool, Brighton Technical College
Somerset-based Meaden, 52, a panellist on the popular television programme Dragons’ Den, started her first venture at 19, importing glass and ceramics from Italy.
She later built up her parents’ caravan park operation, Weststar Holidays. Today the Exeter-based business, renamed Parkdean Holidays, operates 24 holiday parks in the UK. It was sold for a reported £33m in 2005 to Phoenix Equity Partners. Meaden kept a 23% stake.
In 2007, the company was sold on to Alchemy Partners in an £83m deal, which should have earned her about £19m for her remaining shares. For now, we keep Meaden on £40m.