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Real Estate
Success Stories
Shark Tank star Kevin OโLeary:Lebanese heritage influenced my career
On TV, Kevin OโLeary is a staunchly money-driven businessman known for his big investments and blunt off-the-cuff remarks. But when the cameras are off, the multimillionaire is a proud family man who has passed down his Lebanese values to his children.
OโLeary is best known for his role in the ABC television series Shark Tank, where he is one of five โsharkโ investors who listen to entrepreneur pitches and choose whether or not to invest in their startups. He is also the co-founder of the billion-dollar tech company SoftKey Software Products.
The Canadian-born businessman was raised by an Irish salesman father and Lebanese businesswoman mother.He spoke candidly to Lebanese Examiner about his rapid success in the world of business, and how his Lebanese values still carry on to this day.
โLebanese culture is one of the most successful entrepreneurial cultures on earth,โ OโLeary says. โIโm very proud to say that because itโs true.โ
All In the Family Business
Growing up, OโLeary was surrounded by business and hard work. His grandfather immigrated to Montreal, Canada from Hasbaya, Lebanon and built a successful clothing manufacturing company called Kiddie Togs.
โThatโs how I learned family values, and I think those things are very important,โ OโLeary says. โYou donโt realize that until you get older. The work ethic in Lebanese families is legendary.โ
Kevin O'Leary and his mother Georgette Bookalam. (Twitter/Kevin O'Leary)
Kevin OโLeary and his mother Georgette Bookalam. (Twitter/Kevin OโLeary)
OโLearyโs mother, aunts and uncle all worked hard to keep the family business running, but they always made time for family. His mother Georgette Bookalam died in 2008, and her sons credit their successes to her teachings.
โMy mother Georgette was one of the most influential people in my career,โ OโLeary says. โTo this day, her wisdom and advice guide me in almost every business choice I make.โ
The OโLeary home valued family. Sunday dinners were an important part of his life growing up, and it started a special tradition that continues today.
Kevin O'Leary and his family. (Facebook/Kevin O'Leary)
Kevin OโLeary and his family. (Facebook/Kevin OโLeary)
โI remember every Sunday if you didnโt show up for dinner that (my grandmother) prepared all day long, you would burn down in perpetuity,โ he says. โI appreciate that because I have those same rules now. I try to get my family together no matter where we are every Sunday to keep that tradition going.โ
Lebanese DNA
OโLeary once lived in Cyprus, and would visit Beirut often in the sixties before troubles broke out in the region. His experience in global investments have taken him around the world โ and he always finds a Lebanese friend with an incredible business story.
โLebanese are very smart investors,โ he says. โIf you go to any city in the world, youโre going to find that the core Lebanese community is very successful. Very often, they own all the real estate in town and lots of different businesses.โ
Through his travels, he always finds a good Lebanese meal, too.
โItโs no surprise to me when I go to South America, Cambodia, Europe, wherever, I always go for a good meal,โ he says. โI look for a good Lebanese restaurant.โ
Kevin O'Leary on the set of the ABC series Shark Tank. (Disney ABC Press)
Kevin OโLeary on the set of the ABC series Shark Tank. (Disney ABC Press)
The entrepreneurial spirit flows through the Lebanese blood, he adds. Today, when he lectures at universities all over North America, he shares these stories with American and Canadian students.
โSome of us are born to create wealth, and others are meant to work there,โ OโLeary says. โThatโs just the way it is. They are both noble pursuits, but Lebanese have built businesses, they take risks and they support their families โ they have a cultural disposition to do that.โ
OโLeary believes his grandmother and mother played a central role in his career. He calls them โpowerful matriarchs,โ and says they exist in every Lebanese family.
โIโm a big supporter of women entrepreneurs โ women are very good at business,โ he adds. โI think the Lebanese culture was one of the first to support the concept of matriarchal values.โ
These values, he says, are part of his career decisions, every day.
Rabih KJune 23, 2018, 3:43 pm Comments Off on Shark Tank star Kevin OโLeary: Lebanese heritage influenced my career 30065
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