Mr. Wonderful is the nickname of the famous businessman and media personality Kevin O’Leary. He became famous for his unique business ideas. Today, we will discover Mr. Wonderful net worth, early life, and career.
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Who is Mr. Wonderful?
Kevin O’Leary is well known by his nickname, Mr. Wonderful. He is a Canadian businessman and television personality. Kevin gained worldwide recognition by appearing on various Canadian television shows. These include business news programs like SqueezePlay, The Lang, O’Leary Exchange, etc.
Kevin co-founded SoftKey Software Products, a technology company in Toronto. This company sold software geared toward family education and entertainment. From 1980 to 1990, Kevin’s company, SoftKey, became a major consolidator in the global educational software market.
Short Bio of Mr. Wonderful
| Full Name | Terrence Thomas Kevin O’Leary |
| Birthdate | July 9, 1954 (age 69) |
| Birthplace | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Citizenship | Canada, United Arab Emirates, Ireland |
| Political party | Conservative (2004–present) |
| Height | 5’ 10” (1.77 m) |
| Profession | Businessman, investor, journalist, television personality |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Net Worth | $400 Million |
Mr. Wonderful Net Worth
Kevin’s net worth in 2024 is estimated to be 400 million U.S. dollars. Being a successful businessman and media personality is the main reason behind this massive net worth. He runs a billion-dollar profitable technology business. Kevin also is an influential television personality. He appeared in many popular television shows and series.
Early Life
Kevin O’Leary was born in Montreal. He has a brother named Shane O’Leary. His mother, Georgette, was a small business owner, and his father, Terry O’Leary, was a salesman. They are mainly of Lebanese and Irish descent. Kevin and his family moved to the Town of Mount Royal when he was a child.
Later, Kevin’s parents got divorced, and he started living with his mother. She remarried an economist named George Kanawaty, who works at the UN’s International Labour Organization.
According to Kevin’s stepfather George’s international job, He lived in many places while growing up, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Tunisia, and Cyprus.
Kevin started high school at St. George’s School in Quebec. After completing high school graduation, Kevin attended Stanstead College in Stanstead, Quebec.
Later, he started his university at the University of Waterloo and received an honors bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and psychology in 1977.
After this, Kevin enrolled in an MBA program at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School. In 1980, he completed the MBA degree in entrepreneurship.
Sources Behind Mr. Wonderful Net Worth
Early Businesses
In 1978, Kevin started working as an assistant brand manager at Nabisco’s cat food brand. He was introduced to the business environment from this job, which he continued until his MBA graduation.
Later, Kevin co-founded Special Event Television (SET), an independent television production company, with two of his former MBA classmates, Scott Mackenzie and Dave Toms.
This production company produced several original sports programs such as The Original Six, Don Cherry’s Grapevine, Bobby Orr the Hockey Legends, and so on. The company also produced minor television shows, soccer films, sports documentaries, and local professional hockey games.
This business earned a lot of profit for Kevin, which inspired him to begin a business on a large scale. For this reason, he left the SET production company by selling his share to one of his partners in the venture for $25,000.
SoftKey
After leaving the SET production company, Kevin moved to his next business venture. For this purpose, he founded SoftKey Software Products, Inc. in 1986.
In the beginning, this company published and distributed CD-ROM-based personal computer software for Windows and Macintosh computers. It made a great contribution to the educational sector by releasing a line of learning software.
During the 1980s and 1990s, SoftKey became a major consolidator in the global educational software market by reducing the market price by releasing shovelware discs of educational software freeware and shareware.
The company successfully runs until 1999 with a large profit margin. Undoubtedly, Kevin earned a vast profit from this company, which became the main source of his net worth.
Media Appearances
In 2006, Kevin made his television debut by appearing as a regular cast member in the CBC Networks’s popular reality show Dragons’ Den.
Later, he also appeared in the American version of Dragons’ Den, Shark Tank in 2009. There, he completed a few episodes. In 2014, Kevin left Dragons’ Den.
During this time period, Kevin co-hosted the Discovery Channel’s reality series Discovery Project Earth in 2008.
In the following year, he also became a co-host for the CBC News Network’s business news television series, The Lang and O’Leary Exchange. He continued this series until September 9, 2016.
Kevin received a high payment for his every appearance on those television shows and series, which increased his net worth widely.
Books
Kevin wrote his first book, Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life, in 2011. The book was published by Doubleday Canada Publication and released on September 27, 2011. This book became very popular and went viral soon after its release.
With this success, Kevin also released several other books, such as Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women, and Money, Cold Hard Truth on Family, Kids and Money, Cold Hard Truth on Marriage and Money, and Digital Pivot or Bust In a Post COVID-19 World.
All of his books became very popular and made a lot of sales. Some of these are still selling online with a high demand. As an author, Kevin gets a portion of the profit from those book sales, which made a significant impact on his net worth.
Personal Life
Kevin married Linda in 1990 and separated in 2011. But they resumed their marriage after two years. Together, they have two kids, Trevor and Savannah.
FAQs
How much money is Mr. Wonderful worth?
Mr. Wonderful’s net worth in 2024 is estimated to be 400 million U.S. dollars.
How did Kevin O’Leary get so rich?
Kevin O’Leary became very rich through running million-dollar businesses.
What companies does Kevin o leary own?
Kevin o leary owns Special Event Television (SET) and SoftKey Software Products, Inc.
Is Kevin O’Leary a billionaire?
No, Kevin O’Leary is not a billionaire yet.
Final Thoughts
Mr. Wonderful net worth is a result of his unique business ideas. He applies his top skills in his businesses to achieve a successful career as well as a lavish financial status.
