Kevin O’Leary, Starving Artist? ‘Shark Tank’ Star Says Yes, But ‘Hold The Starving’
Kevin O’Leary was once young, and he had dreams. Viewers of the man in the center chair on the Shark Tank panel might suspect he was, even as a child, after the “mo-ney,” or telling his childhood buddies their afterschool fun ideas were “crap.” But it turns out O’Leary once had other plans: he wanted to be an industrial photographer. He told the National Post that it may have been some words of prudence that stopped him from entering such a creative — and competitive — field.
“My dad pointed out the risk to that strategy. Today, everybody is a photographer. The difference between the eye of an amateur and a professional is blurred.”
But part of the benefit of being a successful entrepreneur is having an active hobby. For O’Leary, that’s photography. In October 2013, he published a book of shots and sold prints at an exhibition in Toronto. The proceeds, CDN $97,000 worth, went to the Future Dragon Fund, which aids teen entrepreneurs in Canada. The name is a reference to Dragon’s Den, the venture capitalist show that preceded Shark Tank and on which both he and fellow shark Robert Herjavec used to appear, sometimes with dramatic effect.
A Maclean’s article at the time of the exhibit described O’Leary as an outwardly successful person with unmet creative longings, who went off to university in pursuit of an MBA. in order to avoid a penniless life.
“Behind his acerbic television persona resides the tender sensibilities of the artist. Every thorn has its rose.”
The same article pointed out his bumpy childhood. He was dyslexic, and moved often with his mother and stepfather — who’d given him the “do what’s sensible talk” — to different places as a result of his stepfather’s U.N. postings. He became an observer, but even now only takes pictures of what strikes his fancy.
“Sifting through his many photos, he is asked if he had any special subjects he liked to photograph. His reply is classic O’Leary: ‘I don’t like pictures with people in them.’ Every rose has its thorn, after all.”
O’Leary told the National Post a couple of weeks ago that he vacationed over the holidays in Vancouver and Hawai’i and took photos.
“I shoot every day. I’m kind of back in the saddle.”
At the beautiful #ButchartGardens on #VictoriaIsland BC, #MerryChristmas everybody! pic.twitter.com/x6g34GlHz7
— Kevin O’Leary (@kevinolearytv) December 23, 2014
The National Post said O’Leary’s photo collection, some of which appear on his website, give an indication of his skill behind the camera and the “crazy life” he has led. Toronto Life’s headline at the time of his 2013 exhibition had a similar take: “Kevin O’Leary wants to be an artist — and he’s not half bad.”
In the meantime, while he’s still looking to make a rare investment with his estimated US $300 million fortune, O’Leary will be in the Shark Tank Friday nights on ABC.
