Entrepreneur, Investor & Television Personality; Chairman of O’Leary Ventures; Founding Cast Member of Shark Tank
Kevin O'Leary Biography
Kevin O'Leary, widely known by his self-styled moniker Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, author, and television personality recognized in global business culture. O'Leary co-founded SoftKey Software Products, a technology company specializing in software for family education and entertainment. The company became a major consolidator in the educational software market, acquiring competitors such as Comptons New Media, the Learning Company, and Broderbund through aggressive takeover bids. By the late 1990s, SoftKey was a leading provider of educational, reference, and home productivity software, ranking as the world's second-largest consumer software company, with annual sales exceeding $800 million, 2,000 employees, and offices in 15 countries. The Learning Company was later acquired by Mattel in a landmark deal valued at $4.2 billion, establishing O'Leary's reputation as a prominent dealmaker in North America.
O'Leary gained widespread recognition as a panelist on the CBC reality show "Dragons' Den" and later on ABC's "Shark Tank," where he became known for his candid assessments and preference for structuring deals as loans in exchange for a percentage of future revenue. His appearances on both shows popularized the nickname Mr. Wonderful, a reference to his blunt approach and belief in providing direct feedback to entrepreneurs. Notable investments on "Shark Tank" include Talbott Teas, later acquired by Jamba Juice, and GrooveBook, later acquired by Shutterfly.
Beyond television, O'Leary has established a diverse financial portfolio, holding investments in more than 30 private-venture companies. He serves as chairman of O'Shares ETF Investments and Beanstox, an automated internet-based investment advisory service. O'Leary also owns several companies he founded, including O'Leary Fine Wines and O'Leary Ventures, his private venture-capital investment firm. His business interests extend to WonderAds, a service offering television advertising packages with performance tracking for small and medium enterprises, launched in partnership with Shazam founder Philip Inghelbrecht.
O'Leary is the author of a bestselling series of books, including "Cold Hard Truth," "Men, Women and Money," and "Family, Kids and Money." His writing provides practical insights into finance, negotiation, and leadership, with an emphasis on accountability and value creation. He is an advocate for financial literacy and has addressed audiences at institutions such as Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Notre Dame, Waterloo, and McGill, as well as corporate groups including Ernst & Young, MassMutual, Comcast, Zendesk, Cisco Systems, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and ExxonMobil.
O'Leary has dyslexia, which he credits with fostering creative problem-solving in business. He frequently emphasizes that entrepreneurship is driven by the pursuit of personal freedom rather than financial gain. In addition to his business ventures, O'Leary appeared on CNBC's "Money Court" alongside Katie Phang and Ada Pozo, adjudicating financial disputes, and made his acting debut in the film "Marty Supreme." O'Leary is recognized for his influence in entrepreneurship, investing, and financial education.
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Kevin O'Leary Speaking Topics
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Cold Hard Truth
Kevin O’Leary, one of North America’s most successful entrepreneurs, reveals the secrets that made him rich and shares his personal advice for those from every walk of life. Kevin describes his incredible journey, from his sometimes difficult childhood to the way he built his first company, managed personal pressures, and ultimately achieved remarkable success. His advice is engaging and practical – and will help audience members become the best entrepreneurs and business people that they can be. Topics cover business, money, and life, including how to find your calling and turn your talents into a profitable venture; building a dream team; transforming adversity into opportunity, and making and growing your business–and your money.
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Lessons From a Shark
Kevin O’Leary will take you on a behind-the-scenes look at his hit show Shark Tank. He’ll share entertaining and insightful outtakes from his TV shows – videos you can’t see anywhere else, along with a current economic overview and how it relates to your industry, and finally, he’ll be a ‘secret agent’ for your industry with insights into how your industry is performing, where the innovation is coming from and more. All based on a content review of your industry prior to the event.
Kevin O'Leary Videos
A Harvard Evening in the Shark Tank with Kevin O'Leary
Do you know what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and pitch to investors? Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary shares lessons.
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How do I book Kevin O'Leary to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kevin O'Leary for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kevin O'Leary, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kevin O'Leary or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Kevin O'Leary
Speaking fees for Kevin O'Leary, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kevin O'Leary are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kevin O'Leary, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Kevin O'Leary speak about?
Kevin O'Leary is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Artificial Intelligence, Business, Business Growth, Business Leadership, Celebrity, Corporate Strategy, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Ethics & Integrity, Finance, Host & Emcee, Leadership, Reality TV, Sales, Small Business, Strategic Leadership, Television & Film, Venture Capital -
Where does Kevin O'Leary travel from?
Kevin O'Leary generally travels from West Palm Beach, FL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Kevin O'Leary’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Kevin O'Leary for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kevin O'Leary for your next private or corporate function. -
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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kevin O'Leary or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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Kevin O'Leary is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Cold Hard Truth, Lessons From a Shark, Fireside Chat with Kevin O'Leary: Understanding and Thriving in an Uncertain World and American Business 2.0. The estimated speaking fee range to book Kevin O'Leary for your event is $100,000 - $200,000. Kevin O'Leary generally travels from West Palm Beach, FL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Daymond John, Marc Randolph, Peter Diamandis, Jesse Itzler and Jay Shetty. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kevin O'Leary for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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