Kevin O’Leary

• Star of ABC’s Shark Tank and CNBC’s Money Court, Kevin O’Leary is a top business speaker known for his bold insights on money, investing, and entrepreneurship.
• Founder of SoftKey and The Learning Company, which he sold to Mattel for $4.2 billion, making him one of the most successful software entrepreneurs of his time.
• Chairman of O’Shares Investments and investor in over 30 private ventures, he’s also a best-selling author and global financial commentator seen on CNBC and ABC News.

Top Business Speaker, Respected Investor, Author, Venture Capitalist, and Judge on ABC’s Shark Tank!

Kevin O’Leary’s entrepreneurial journey is the quintessential startup success story—one that began in Canada with a bold idea, relentless drive, and, as he often says, “zero cash.” In 1986, working out of his Toronto basement, he founded SoftKey Software Products. Under his leadership, the company grew into a dominant force in educational software, eventually becoming The Learning Company and selling for a staggering $4.2 billion.

Since then, O’Leary has built a track record as one of the most successful and disciplined investors in modern business. In 2000, he founded O’Leary Ventures, a diversified venture capital platform that has invested in early-stage companies across technology, consumer products, infrastructure, finance, and media. His investments have repeatedly turned vision into value—co-founding Storage Now, later acquired for $110 million, and backing Stream Global Services, which was ultimately acquired for $820 million.

Widely known to millions as “Mr. Wonderful” from ABC’s Shark Tank, Kevin is also a global thought leader on entrepreneurship, capital discipline, and wealth creation. Most recently, he expanded his influence beyond business television, appearing in the documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery, where he explores the intersection of innovation, finance, and the future of money.

Today, Kevin O’Leary is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world, known for his sharp wit, no-nonsense insights, and unwavering belief that great ideas—backed by disciplined execution—can change everything..

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Biography

Kevin O’Leary’s success story began in his native Canada, “with a big idea and zero cash.” In 1986, he founded SoftKey Software Products, later to be called The Learning Company, in his Toronto basement. Under O’Leary’s leadership, the company became a giant in its sector before it was acquired for $4.2 billion. In 2000, O’Leary founded O’Leary Ventures, a generalist venture capital investment platform that has since invested in start-ups and early-stage companies across virtually every sector. In 2003, he co-founded Storage Now, a leading developer of climate-controlled storage facilities, which was later acquired for $110 million. His next investment, Stream Global Services, was later acquired for $820 million.

More About Kevin O’Leary

In 2006, O’Leary joined the Canadian cast of Dragon’s Den, the international business reality show and forerunner of the U.S. Shark Tank franchise. His tough critiques and brutal honesty made him a popular judge. In 2009, he was invited to join the founding cast of ABC’s Shark Tank, alongside Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Barbara Corcoran. Shark Tank continues to be one of the most popular television programs of all time, garnering multiple awards and nominations, including four Emmy awards. In 2025, he made his acting debut in the movie Marty Supreme alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet. Reflecting his commitment to “eco-preneurship,” O’Leary also co-hosted The Discovery Channel’s Project Earth series, which explored radical ideas to combat global warming.

O’Leary currently serves as chairman for a portfolio of companies that reflect his guiding principles for business. They include venture capital investment platform O’Leary Ventures; Beanstox, an automated internet-based investment advisory service; and O’Shares Investments, which provides ETFs for long-term wealth management. He is the founder of O’Leary Financial Group, and Chief Sommelier of award-winning O’Leary Fine Wines. Since 2021, O’Leary has also been a strategic investor in WonderFi, now one of the largest regulated crypto asset trading platforms in the world. 

A strong believer in financial education and fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs, Kevin O’Leary is the author of a bestselling series of books: Cold Hard Truth; Men, Women and Money; and Family, Kids and Money. He has spoken to future entrepreneurs at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Notre Dame, Waterloo and McGill. Corporate speaking audiences have included Ernst & Young, MassMutual, First Third Bank, Constant Contact, Comcast, Zendesk, Cisco Systems, National Conference of State Legislatures, and ExxonMobil.

O’Leary serves on the investment committee of Boston’s prestigious 200-year-old Hamilton Trust. He is an avid chef, wine lover, world traveler, photographer, electric guitarist, guitar collector, and die-hard New England Patriots fan.

Mr. O’Leary received an honours bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and psychology from the University of Waterloo and an MBA in entrepreneurship from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.