Kevin O’Leary once had a photography lab in his basement.
As a teenager, he tried his best to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. There was one problem. My father didn’t approve.
In a video posted to It later became a very important tool for me.
Related article: Kevin O’Leary says these are the skills he looks for in a leader – but finding them is ‘nearly impossible’
Mr. O’Leary previously explained why he believes an MBA, which costs an average of $231,420 from a top 10 program in the United States, is worth it.
In a 2021 Facebook post, he said the degree gave him a “head start,” taught him “discipline” and how to make money and stand up for his ideas as a 20-something with poor study habits. I wrote that I have changed into a person who knows things. Focus on his strengths.
O’Leary graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1980. Currently, tuition for domestic students is $83,250 per year.
Photography still plays an important role in his life. After graduation, the first company he founded, Special Events Television, was a production company focused on sports entertainment.
RELATED: Kevin O’Leary launches new agency with Shazam founder
“This was an attempt to get back to what I loved, photography and making, and make money doing it,” O’Leary said on X-Video. “My life has been a combination of science and art.”
When I first wanted to be a photographer, my father told me I wasn’t good enough and that I would starve. So I got my MBA and ended up starting and selling a company for $4.2 billion. Everything came together: business, creativity, and the will to win. I wouldn’t change anything. pic.twitter.com/Xv8ttJFk2V
— Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) September 17, 2024
O’Leary sold the company and used the proceeds to found SoftKey in 1986, which sells educational and entertainment software. He and two business partners sold SoftKey to Mattel in 1999 for $4.2 billion.
Looking back, he has no regrets.
“All of it, the good, the bad and the ugly, has shaped me into the person I am today,” O’Leary said in the video. “And I wouldn’t change anything.”
RELATED: Kevin O’Leary says ‘right to disconnect’ laws are ‘crazy’
