黑洞社区

Coffee with a dragons

Theo Paphitis is one of the most instantly recognisable businessmen in the country. By 2009, the retail tycoon and former Millwall Football Club chairman鈥檚 profile had taken a massive boost via his part in the success of the business-pitching TV show Dragons鈥� Den, but the multimillionaire still had experience of defeat earlier in his career. It was through this that he was able to deliver some words of wisdom to a construction industry in the throes of recession in this interview with 黑洞社区 reporter Emily Wright.

It read: 鈥淭his early failure, and his later success, have given Paphitis the credentials to be a business guru. But on the state of the construction industry today, his advice may not be what people want to hear: 鈥業t was the emperor鈥檚 new clothes. Some called it, sold landbanks and got cash in. Is that because they are cleverer than everyone else? Or is it because they said: 鈥楽hit, the emperor鈥檚 got no clothes on鈥�? Denying this recession was like trying to defy the laws of gravity and I don鈥檛 care if you are the chairman of the biggest building company in the whole world, you are not going to defy the laws of gravity. People were on the merry-go-round and they didn鈥檛 get off. Here is my advice: You. Should. Have. Got. Off.鈥欌��