Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary
Terence Thomas Kevin O'Learyis a Canadian businessman, investor, journalist, writer, financial commentator and television personality. He is co-founder and Chairman of O'Leary Funds and the co-founder of SoftKey. He previously served as a commentator on Canada's CBC Television and CBC News Network, on the programme The Lang and O'Leary Exchange and hosted Redemption Inc. He is an investor on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank and was a venture capitalist "Dragon" on CBC Television's Dragons' Den...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth9 July 1954
CityMontreal, Canada
CountryCanada
Once in a while, I see my fellow TV investors praise a business just because they like the entrepreneur behind it. That kind of thinking might make you feel warm and fuzzy inside - but let's get back to reality.
Here's how I think of my money - as soldiers - I send them out to war everyday. I want them to take prisoners and come home, so there's more of them.
I have had some great successes and great failures. I think every entrepreneur has. I try to learn from all of them.
I think a book is your calling card, your business card.
I think every entrepreneur in Canada owes the next generation a road map of how to do it again.
I'm not planning on giving my kids any of my wealth. They know when their education is over, I'm pushing them out of the nest. The bird you see dead under the nest is the one who didn't think about the future.
The practical reality of managing cars in the family - I do 36-month leases. I think they're horrible investments. And you want to give them back after their warranty is over.
I'm starting to think about things that I want to do, things that are fun. One of them is driving a car like a Porsche. I've driven a lot of cars - sedans, trucks and big family vehicles all year long. But there's nothing like a four-wheel-drive Porsche.
I actually think being an entrepreneur is a state of mind. If you're going to be an entrepreneur, my thesis is that you have to sacrifice everything for some period in your life to be successful. You have to be myopic and completely focused and unbalanced in every way. Once you've achieved success, you're free to do whatever you like.
We knew they were a good skating team. We came out trying to force their hand with some hitting and our guys got caught up in that a little bit too much. We lost sight of the puck and they're a very good team. They find their open players very well.
Until Americans feel that their core asset - their homes - are stabilized, they are not going to have the animal spirits and they will continue to have less buying power.
Software is becoming no different than a videotape or a record album or a paperback book, and not all of us are ready for that change.
I'm not trying to make friends, I'm just trying to make money.
Having won re-election convincingly and against the economic odds, President Obama quickly made good on his promise of maintaining taxes as they are for the middle class while raising them on the wealthiest Americans.