Kevin O’Leary is a well-known businessman, author, and television personality, but his rise to success was not an easy one. Born in Montreal, Canada in 1954, O’Leary grew up in a middle-class family with a strong work ethic. He studied at the prestigious University of Waterloo, where he earned a degree in environmental studies and a master’s in business administration. After graduation, he started his career at Nabisco, but soon realized his true passion lay in entrepreneurship.
In 1986, O’Leary founded SoftKey Software Products, later renamed The Learning Company, with his friend Scott Murray. The company quickly became a success, but it was in 1999, when Mattel purchased the business for $4.2 billion, that O’Leary became a millionaire. He went on to co-found StorageNow Holdings, a storage company that was acquired by InStorage REIT in 2006 for $110 million. O’Leary’s success in the business world caught the attention of producers at ABC, who invited him to join the cast of Shark Tank in 2009.
From Businessman to Television Celebrity
Since joining Shark Tank, O’Leary has become a household name, known for his tough love and brutally honest approach to investing.
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