Susie Wolff
Managing Director, F1 Academy | CNBC Changemaker 2026 | Former F1 Development Driver, Williams | MBE | Founder, Dare to Be Different
Kevin O’Leary
Star of ABC's Shark Tank & CBC's Dragon's Den | Chairman, O'Leary Ventures | Bestselling Author & Venture Capitalist | AI Infrastructure Investor
Known globally as "Mr. Wonderful," speaker Kevin O'Leary pairs blunt candor with decades of deal-making instinct. The Shark Tank star and O'Leary Ventures chairman is now placing massive bets on AI data centers and energy infrastructure, putting him at the heart of the technology reshaping every industry. Senior audiences leave with unfiltered insights on entrepreneurship, investing, and execution in the age of artificial intelligence.
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Kevin O’Leary biography
A born entrepreneur and relentless dealmaker, business speaker Kevin O’Leary is one of the most recognized financial voices in the world. As a speaker, Kevin O’Leary delivers the bracing honesty, sharp wit, and hard-won investment wisdom that have made him a household name from Shark Tank to global business stages.
The son of a United Nations official, O’Leary spent his childhood traveling the globe before returning to Canada to earn a BA from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario. After a stint in television production, he co-founded Special Event Television, then launched SoftKey Software Products in 1986. Over thirteen years, he built SoftKey into a technology giant and sold it for $3.7 billion, a deal that cemented his reputation as a masterful operator.
From Boardroom to Broadcast to AI Infrastructure
O’Leary’s business instinct made him wealthy; his candor and charisma made him a cultural icon. Since joining CBC’s Dragon’s Den in 2006 and co-launching ABC’s Shark Tank in 2009, he has become one of the most beloved investors on television, known for his frank yet engaging approach to evaluating business pitches.
Through O’Leary Ventures, he continues to expand a portfolio spanning technology, consumer brands, and financial services. His latest strategic focus is the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence. O’Leary now controls tens of thousands of acres of development-ready land for data centers and energy generation, including the multi-gigawatt Stratos project in Utah and a joint venture for the Wonder Valley compute campus. He has also concentrated his cryptocurrency holdings on Bitcoin and Ethereum while backing financial infrastructure platforms he considers essential to the digital economy.
A bestselling author of several books on personal finance and wealth creation, O’Leary brings his entrepreneurial perspective to executive audiences worldwide. With an active portfolio of more than 40 Shark Tank investments and a venture firm shaping the AI buildout, he remains one of the most trusted voices on business, investing, and the future of capitalism.
As a speaker, Kevin O’Leary brings the boardroom to the stage, offering audiences an unfiltered, energizing, and deeply informed perspective on what it takes to build, invest, and win.
Kevin O’Leary Speaking Videos
Kevin O'Leary - What it takes to become a successful entrepreneur
Kevin O'Leary Gets Real About Why You Must Be Ruthless in Business
Kevin O’Leary Keynote Topics
Drawing on his journey from scaling SoftKey into a $3.7 billion exit to backing dozens of ventures through Shark Tank and O'Leary Ventures, Kevin O'Leary distills the principles that create lasting wealth. He shows audiences how to find a venture worth their time, build a team capable of scaling, and turn setbacks into momentum. This keynote is a masterclass in entrepreneurial thinking from someone who has built, bought, and bet his way to the top of business.
O'Leary is placing huge bets on the physical backbone of the AI economy, from gigawatt-scale data centers in Utah and Alberta to energy generation projects. In this keynote, he lays out his thesis on why AI infrastructure represents the defining investment opportunity of the coming decade, how he evaluates deals in a fast-moving landscape, and what business leaders must understand about the technology reshaping every industry. With his trademark candor, O'Leary gives audiences an investor's roadmap for the AI era.
O'Leary pulls back the curtain on two of the most-watched business shows in television history, sharing stories and exclusive outtakes that viewers never see on air. He tailors every keynote to the audience's industry, weaving entertaining anecdotes with a current view of the economy and a sharp read on where innovation is emerging. After evaluating thousands of pitches across more than sixteen seasons, he offers an unmatched perspective on what separates businesses that scale from those that stall.
O'Leary's central philosophy is that execution wins. In this high-energy keynote, he argues that delivering results on time and on budget matters more than any other skill in business. Drawing on examples from his investment portfolio, Shark Tank negotiations, and his own founding story, he shows why financial discipline, honest self-assessment, and the willingness to make hard calls separate operators who build lasting enterprises from dreamers who never ship.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Kevin O’Leary
Why Kevin O'Leary?
Kevin O'Leary ranks among the most compelling business speakers in the world. As a serial entrepreneur who built and sold a company for $3.7 billion, an investor who has weighed thousands of pitches on Shark Tank, and a venture capitalist now pouring capital into AI data centers and energy infrastructure, he speaks from active, current experience. His keynotes are unscripted, candid, and packed with actionable insight on entrepreneurship, investing, and leadership. Audiences consistently describe his sessions as the highlight of their event: energizing, provocative, and impossible to forget. Book Kevin O'Leary through Aurum Speakers Bureau for your next business or leadership event.
What is Kevin O'Leary investing in right now?
O'Leary is focused heavily on AI infrastructure, data centers, and energy. Through O'Leary Ventures and O'Leary Digital, he controls tens of thousands of acres of development-ready land across the United States and Canada, including the multi-gigawatt Stratos project in Utah and the Wonder Valley compute campus joint venture. He has also streamlined his cryptocurrency portfolio to concentrate on Bitcoin and Ethereum while backing financial infrastructure platforms he considers essential to the digital economy. His broader portfolio spans technology, consumer brands, and financial services, reflecting his conviction that execution and scalability are what separate good ideas from great investments.
How does Kevin O'Leary tailor a keynote for a corporate audience?
O'Leary customizes every presentation for his audience, drawing on behind-the-scenes stories from Dragon's Den and Shark Tank that audiences cannot find anywhere else. He uses real investment cases to illustrate principles of entrepreneurship, financial discipline, and market timing, then maps those lessons onto the specific industry in the room. Having reviewed thousands of pitches across more than sixteen seasons, he delivers a masterclass on what separates businesses that scale from those that fail. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Kevin O'Leary to your stage.
What is Kevin O'Leary's business philosophy?
O'Leary's philosophy centers on execution, financial discipline, and honest self-assessment. He believes the ability to deliver results on time and on budget matters more than any other business skill. He is famously direct about what works and what doesn't, often telling entrepreneurs that emotional attachment to a failing idea is the fastest path to ruin. At the same time, he champions calculated risk-taking and has demonstrated through his own career, from SoftKey to Shark Tank to AI infrastructure, that adaptability and decisive action create lasting wealth.
How to book Kevin O’Leary as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Kevin O’Leary as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Kevin O’Leary's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Kevin O’Leary or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Kevin O’Leary speaking fee?
Kevin O’Leary speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Kevin O’Leary to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Kevin O’Leary.
How can I contact Kevin O’Leary?
We only work with Kevin O’Leary on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Kevin O’Leary and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Kevin O’Leary speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Kevin O’Leary for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Kevin O’Leary for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Kevin O’Leary is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Kevin O’Leary for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
