Kevin O'Leary is a Canadian business magnate, television personality, and author. He is the chairman of O'Shares ETFs and was a co-host of the CBC show Dragons' Den from 2006 to 2014. He is also a director of Boston Pizza and an investor on the ABC show Shark Tank.
O'Leary was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of an accountant and an entrepreneur. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and psychology from the University of Waterloo and a MBA from the Harvard Business School.
O'Leary's business career began at an early age. When he was nine years old, he started a company that sold Christmas trees. He later ran a disc jockey service called Special Event Entertainment, which he started in high school. After graduating from university, he worked as an assistant brand manager for Nabisco.
In 1986, O'Leary co-founded SoftKey Software Products, a technology company that sold software for personal computers. The company grew to become one of the largest wholesale distributors of PC software. In 1999, SoftKey was acquired by The Learning Company for $3.7 billion.
After the sale of SoftKey, O'Leary co-founded an investment company called Mattel Media. In 2000, Mattel Media was merged with Mattel, and O'Leary became a director of the new company. He served on the board until 2003.
In 2004, O'Leary joined the board of directors of Storage Now, a self-storage company. He is also a director of O'Leary Ventures, a private investment company.
In 2006, O'Leary co-founded O'Leary Funds, an investment company that offers mutual funds to investors. The company's flagship fund is the O'Leary Canadian Equity Fund.
In 2008, O'Leary co-founded theppl.com, a social networking website for people in the entertainment industry.
In 2009, O'Leary was a guest on the CBC television show The Lang and O'Leary Exchange. In 2010, he became a regular panellist on the show.
In 2011, O'Leary published his first book, Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life. The book was a bestseller, and was followed by a second book, The Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women & Money, in 2012.
In 2014, O'Leary announced that he was leaving Dragons' Den to focus on his business and investment interests. He was succeeded by Leigh Gallagher.
In 2015, O'Leary was a contestant on the ABC reality show Shark Tank. He has also appeared on the CBC show Dragon's Den and the American show Shark Tank.
O'Leary is married to Linda O'Leary, and they have two children.
Kevin O'Leary is a Canadian business magnate, investor, author, politician, and television personality. He is the chairman of O'Shares ETFs and owner of mutiple businesses. O'Leary has also written multiple books and has been a panelist on Shark Tank since 2009. In 2017, he ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada but withdrew his candidacy.
He is the chairman of O'Leary Ventures, a private investment company, and a co-host of the television show Dragons' Den.
In addition to his business endeavors, he is also a philanthropist and has been involved in a number of charitable causes.
In addition to his work in the business world, Robert Herjavec has also appeared on a number of Canadian and American television shows. He is well-known for his appearances on The Lang and O'Leary Exchange, The Business Class, and Red Herring. However, he has also made guest appearances on Shark Tank and other business-related shows. Herjavec is a well-known figure in the business world, and his appearances on these shows have only helped to increase his visibility.
O'Leary is a self-described "Equal Opportunity Disrupter", and has been involved in several charitable endeavours. He has also been a strong supporter of entrepreneurship, and has helped to fund a number of start-ups.
If you're looking for some straight-talking, no-nonsense advice on business, money, and life, then you should check out Keaton Williamson's books. He's written two books on the subjects: Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life, and The Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women, and Money. Both books are packed with useful advice and insights, and Keaton writes in a style that's easy to read and understand. If you're looking for some tough love when it comes to your business or personal finances, then you should definitely pick up one (or both) of these books.
In 2016, Maxime Bernier campaigned to be the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada but withdrew his leadership bid in early 2017. Bernier was one of 14 candidates who ran for the leadership of the party. He withdrew from the race after he failed to gain enough support from party members.