Touker Suleyman

Suleyman was born in Famagusta on 4 August 1953, into a Turkish Cypriot family.[4][5] In 1958, he moved to England with his family and settled in Bermondsey, South London. He arrived not speaking English and attended Peckham Manor secondary school. At age 10, he suffered a serious hand infection that resulted in him missing a year of school and at risk of an amputation of his left hand.[4] Suleyman helped out working at his family's restaurant in Camberwell.[6] He credits his father for being his inspiration to start his own business.[7]

After leaving school, Suleyman joined a chartered accountancy firm in Southampton Row, London,[8] heeding to his father's wishes that he enter a secure profession. He worked as an articled clerk earning £5.50 a week.[6][9] Speaking of his experience there he states "I did the accounts for small clients like dentists and doctors, other accountants and small businesses. In a way it was educational, but quite boring. I saw that there were three ways to make money. You were either a pop star, in the fashion business, or in property."[8]

While doing an audit for a clothing company, Suleyman took home some crimplene garments for his grandmother who later told him that her friends wanted the same. He purchased more which she then sold on his behalf for about a year. He describes this incident as his introduction to the fashion business.[8] Suleyman went in to a partnership with the manufacturer operating out of a factory in East London before going on to form Kingsland Models which supplied clothing to the likes of C&A, Dorothy Perkins and Top Shop.[10]

In the early 1980s, after being advised by a stockbroker, Suleyman took a 29.9% stake in clothing business Mellins. He was later persuaded by Laing & Cruickshank that Mellins should buy a stake in retailer Bamber Stores "because it offered synergy—we make it and we sell it."[4] After Suleyman asked accountants Coopers & Lybrand to do a review, they discovered that the business had falsified their records and was £20–26 million in deficits.[4][6] A board meeting was held the following Monday where Suleyman resigned, the company's shares were suspended, and receivers Cork Gully were called in. The collapse of Bamber Stores now forced Suleyman to find a way to raise money or see Mellins collapse too but he was unable to find investors.[6] Suleyman was now stuck with debt and sold his house to repay money he owed to the bank.[11]

Suleyman has never married. He lives in London and has two daughters. He is a non-practicing Muslim.[3][5]

• Touker Suleyman at IMDb