Kevin O’Leary’s Net Worth and Salary
Kevin O’Leary, a Canadian businessman, author, politician, and television personality, has a net worth of $400 million. Known as “Mr. Wonderful,” he accumulated his first fortune through the software company SoftKey International. He rose to fame from his appearances on the reality TV shows “Dragons’ Den” and “Shark Tank.” As elaborated later in this article, Kevin was one of numerous celebrities who endorsed the failed crypto exchange FTX. Prior to his endorsem*nt, O’Leary had been an outspoken critic of cryptocurrency.
Early Life
Born Terence Thomas Kevin O’Leary on July 9, 1954, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he is of Lebanese and Irish descent, holding an Irish passport due to his paternal heritage. Following his parents’ separation and his father’s subsequent death, his mother remarried economist Gorge Kanawaty. Growing up due to his stepfather’s work with the UN in countries like Cambodia, Tunisia, and Cyprus, O’Leary received valuable investment teachings from his mother, who advised him always to save one-third of his money.
Advising him to pursue university education, O’Leary’s stepfather redirected his aspirations from photography to business and investing, which he delved into during his university years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo in 1977 and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario in 1980.
Getty
Business Career
During his MBA studies, O’Leary interned at Nabisco and served as an assistant brand manager for the cat food brand. This experience honed skills pivotal for his subsequent success. Post-Nabisco, he briefly delved into TV production, co-founding the television production company Special Event Television (SET) with two MBA colleagues, eventually selling his stake for $25,000.
He then started the software company SoftKey in 1986 in Toronto with John Freeman and Gary Babco*ck, his partners. Using $25,000 from his SET share and a $10,000 loan from his mother after losing a major financial backer’s $250,000 investment, they founded a publisher and distributor of CD-ROM-based software for Windows and Macintosh computers.
SoftKey grew by acquiring educational software companies like WordStar and Spinnaker Software, evidencing significant consolidation by 1993. The acquisition of The Learning Company (TLC) for $606 million followed, causing Softkey to rebrand as TLC in 1995. Mattel later acquired TLC for $4.2 billion in 1999, leading to O’Leary’s departure amid shareholder lawsuits over misrepresenting TLC’s performance, attributed by O’Leary to tech industry changes and management clashes.
Becoming a co-investor and director at Storage Now in 2003, O’Leary contributed to the growth of this climate-controlled storage facilities developer. With facilities in eleven cities serving major companies like Merck and Pfizer, Storage Now was acquired for $110 million in March 2007.
(Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
Shark Tank And Other Ventures
Releasing his first book “Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life” in September 2011, O’Leary authored subsequent books in 2012 and 2013. His TV debut was in 2006 on the CBC show “Dragons’ Den” as one of five venture capitalists, followed by an invitation to the American version, “Shark Tank,” in 2009. By cultivating a persona dubbed “Mr. Wonderful,” he made impactful deals aiding entrepreneurs appearing misled on the shows. Managing his investments through Something Wonderful, O’Leary struck notable deals, like those with Talbott Teas and GrooveBook on “Shark Tank,” alongside co-stars Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec.
Other media ventures include co-hosting Discovery Channel’s “Discovery Project Earth” (2008), a segment “The Lang and O’Leary Exchange” on CBC News Network (2009) with Amanda Lang, and hosting and producing “Redemption Inc.” in 2012, a reality show aiding ex-convicts start businesses.
FTX Endorsem*nt
Initially skeptical of cryptocurrency, O’Leary changed his stance in August 2021 with a touted “long-term” investment in and spokesperson role for FTX, taking equity and crypto. The eventual collapse of FTX in November 2022, wiping billions from investors, drew criticism for O’Leary. Attempting damage control on CNBC by admitting his $15 million partnership value hit zero, he originally lauded FTX’s compliance focus, shifting his crypto perspective.
Politics
O’Leary officially entered the Conservative leadership race on January 18, 2017, following months of public speculation. He was often compared by the press to U.S. President Donald Trump during his campaign. Both were wealthy businessmen who gained wider recognition through reality television. They ran on platforms including lowering taxes and regulations. O’Leary dismissed comparisons noting his difference from Trump on immigration. He highlighted his Irish and Lebanese immigrant heritage, emphasizing that he “wouldn’t exist if Canada had walls.” O’Leary exited the leadership race on April 26, 2017, believing he could win the election but deemed it “selfish” to continue due to lack of support in Quebec, making it difficult to defeat Justin Trudeau in 2019.
Personal Life
Since 1990, Kevin O’Leary has been married to his wife Linda with a brief two-year separation in 2011. Linda serves as the VP of Marketing for O’Leary Wines. The couple has two children. O’Leary’s primary residence is in Toronto, and he also maintains a cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. Additionally, he owns properties in Boston and Geneva, Switzerland. To facilitate investments, O’Leary obtained UAE citizenship to partner with Emiratis.
Kevin O’Leary Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Data is from 2023 and 2024, with the forecast extending to 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.
REFERENCES: This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries: Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates. Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan. Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi. Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic. Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories. Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy. Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg. Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar. Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway. Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe. Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria. Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands. Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
------
Kevin O’Leary Net Worth (Money & Salary)
