Watch: 'Dragons’ Den' investor Simu Liu defends business owner for having full-time job

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Simu Liu is defending Barry Donaldson, owner of Toronto-based Balu Organics, a company that sells organic ball pits for children, against the criticism he faces for having a full-time job while running his own company.

• What happened: In last Thursday’s episode of CBC’s “Dragons’ Den,” Donaldson asked investors — known as “Dragons” — for a $250,000 funding but was quickly shut down, with some describing his business as a side hustle due to his nine-to-five job. His LinkedIn profile shows he has been working as an I.T. application specialist for the City of Toronto since August 2004. Donaldson quickly dispelled the criticism by emphasizing his passion for his company, adding that “living in Toronto is very, very expensive.” He also shared that he has two kids to raise. Despite his explanation, the Dragons still declined to provide an investment, with Wes Hall stating, “I can’t invest behind someone [for whom] this is secondary to them; it’s got to be number one.”

• What Liu is saying: Liu, one of the show’s Dragons, rallied behind Donaldson. While the “Shang-Chi” star agreed with Hall’s point about investors wanting founders to prioritize their business, he said, “the economic reality of a lot of people starting businesses at later stages in life is that they have responsibilities that they have to adhere to. And I don’t think that should be the only thing that deters you as an investor.”

• Reactions: Instagram users applauded Liu’s stance on the matter. One commented, “[Liu] called out the Boba thing and called out the dragons here for being blind to the average person’s life.” Another wrote, “This is the second clip of Simu that I have seen, he has stood as a voice of reasoning and rationality.”

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