James Caan was born Nazim Khan on 28 December 1960 in Lahore, Pakistan, before moving to the UK with his family. His father worked in the leather trade, and Caan was expected to follow in the family business.

He left school at 16 without completing formal qualifications and began working in recruitment. He quickly developed a talent for business and sales, which led him to start his own company.

In 1985, he founded Alexander Mann Group, a recruitment firm that grew internationally before he sold it in 2002. He also co-founded Humana International and later launched private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw in 2004.

Caan became widely known after joining Dragons’ Den (BBC Two) in 2007, where he appeared until 2010, investing in a range of businesses.

He lives in the UK with his family and continues to work in private equity, mentoring entrepreneurs and supporting business initiatives such as the UK Start Up Loans scheme.