Kevin O’Leary, otherwise known as Mr. Wonderful in the “Shark Tank” tank is the show’s resident porcupine: prickly on the outside, but soft on the inside. Or if not soft, at least human. Though viewers tune in for his caustic wit, it’s actually his honesty that keeps us coming back for more. While the other sharks – Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Daniel Lubetzky – operate with a softness and sensitivity toward the nervous contestants hawking their investment opportunities, Mr. Wonderful offers no such politeness.
But isn’t that what we love about him?
And it’s actually when he turns that harsh, honest lens on himself when fans find him most endearing.
If He Had a Time Machine
GettyIn an October 27 post on X, O’Leary was asked in a video interview what he would advise his 25-year-old self to do differently when it comes to his professional past, and his answer may be surprising. “I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t give him advice to do anything other than what he did, because it was the failures that led to the successes. I had some catastrophic failures, but I recovered from them. You only need one win, and you set yourself free.”
He sure did.
Today, O’Leary is worth an estimated jaw-dropping $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His fortune is largely due to the sale of his company, Softkey Software Products, for a staggering $4.2 billion to Mattel back in his mid-30s. With that kind of windfall, O’Leary could and did retire, but found no fulfillment ping-ponging around every beach imaginable. “I was bored out of my mind,” he said on CNBC in 2019.
He realized he needed a purpose. And so, he got back to work. This time, as an investor.
What Drives Him
Getty What motivates him today is actually rooted in his desire to live longer. Staying busy with work is what keeps his brain sharp – plus, being a shark, he really does love the thrill of the hunt. And so, in addition to wheeling and dealing, he’s focused on diet and exercise to stay in tip-top shape until the bitter end.
On the business front, he now only focuses on businesses that resonate with him. And many of them are thanks to “Shark Tank.” From the show, he’s invested in a meal kit delivery service called Plated, a dessert brand named Wicked Good Cupcakes, and a photobook app that goes by Groovebook, among others.
Of course, not all of his investments have been winners, but he takes it in stride. Because if anyone can turn epic flops into headline-making wins with style and swagger, it’s Mr. Wonderful.
