Kevin O'Leary

Kevin O'Leary was born in Montreal to an Irish father and Lebanese mother and spent parts of his childhood living abroad because his father worked for the International Labour Organization, receiving education in countries including Cambodia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Ethiopia, France and Switzerland. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and later an MBA from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey Business School. In the 1980s, O'Leary co‑founded Special Event Television and then SoftKey Software Products (later renamed The Learning Company), a consolidator and publisher of consumer educational and reference software that grew rapidly as personal computers became household products. By the late 1990s, the company had become a leading global consumer‑software business and was acquired by Mattel in a deal reported in the billions of dollars. After leaving the combined business, O'Leary built a diversified investment and operating portfolio: co‑founding StorageNow, founding O'Leary Ventures and other holding companies, launching O'Leary Funds and investing in multiple startups and service companies. His investment and operating activities span technology, financial services, wine, and asset management among other sectors. O'Leary rose to international public prominence as a television investor on Dragons' Den (Canada) beginning in 2006 and as one of the Sharks on ABC's Shark Tank since 2009, where his direct style and tough deal criteria earned him the nickname 'Mr. Wonderful.' He has authored books, delivered keynote speeches worldwide, maintained branded investment products, and served as a public commentator on business and finance topics.