Robert Herjavec

Herjavec was born in 1962 in Varaždin, Croatia[9] (formerly Yugoslavia), and grew up in Zbjeg.[10] In 1970,[9] when Herjavec was eight, the family left the country, which had previously incarcerated Herjavec's father, Vladimir, for speaking out against the regime.[11][12] According to Herjavec, "He’d drink a little too much and then say bad things about Communism, and got thrown into jail 22 times for being an anti-Communist."[13] Herjavec's family arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia with a single suitcase[14] and only $20.[5] The family eventually settled in Toronto, where they lived in the basement of a family friend's home for 18 months.[15] For Herjavec, who spoke no English,[16] the transition proved difficult. Having grown up on a farm and raised by his grandmother among neighbors with similar lifestyles, he now found himself in a much poorer economic class than his neighbors.[11]

Herjavec's father got a job in a factory in Mississauga, making $76 a week.[5] Herjavec cites his father, whom he describes as "a really, really tough guy", as a major influence in his life. Herjavec has described a seminal memory of his, when he came home one day to complain to his mother that his classmates were making fun of him. His father who used to walk to work to save money on bus fare, came home, and when he heard what his son described, instructed his son never to complain, which became a guiding principle in Herjavec's life, one which he says sparked his sense of courage.[6] Another influential episode in his youth came when Herjavec's mother was persuaded by a traveling salesman to buy a vacuum cleaner for $500, which was seven weeks' salary. As a result, Herjavec swore his family would never be taken advantage of again.[5]

In 1984, Herjavec graduated from New College at the University of Toronto, with a degree in English literature[16] and political science.[6] To make a living and help support his family, Herjavec took on a variety of minimum wage jobs in the 1990s, such as waiting tables, delivering newspapers,[11] retail salesman, and debt collection.[6]

Herjavec is the author of three books. His first two books were Driven: How to Succeed in Business and Life (2010) and The Will to Win: Leading, Competing, Succeeding (2013). Driven is organized by the work and life principles that made Herjavec both wealthy and successful, while The Will to Win delivers life lessons that promise to guide readers to greater happiness and success.[29][30] "The Will to Win" is also the name of public presentations that Herjavec has given, which feature his advice to businesspeople, based on his life experiences.[31] On March 29, 2016, his third book titled You Don't Have to Be a Shark: Creating Your Own Success was released.[32]

Herjavec married Diane Plese in 1990. They separated in July 2014[33] and divorced in early 2016. He had suicidal ideation after his marriage fell apart.[34] He and his ex-wife have two daughters, Caprice and Skye, and a son named Brendan.[35][36][37] In June 2019, a judge ruled that Herjavec must pay his ex-wife additional sums that would bring the total she received from the marriage to $25 million.[38]

In September 2015, Herjavec confirmed his relationship with his former Dancing with the Stars partner Kym Johnson.[39] On February 27, 2016, the two became engaged.[40] On July 31, 2016 they were married in Los Angeles, California. [41]

In December 2017, Robert and Kym announced that they were expecting twins.[42] The twins, a boy and a girl, were born on April 23, 2018, named Hudson Robert Herjavec and Haven Mae Herjavec.[43]

In 2017, Herjevec's ex-girlfiend, Danielle Vasinova, whom he dated from 2013 to 2015, sued him for rape after he sued her for attempting to extort him over false claims of sexual assault.[44][45] Both suits were dismissed in mid 2018. The allegations against Robert were withdrawn without financial settlement, and Vasinova apologized to Robert and his family.[46]

Herjavec owns a home in the Bridle Path, Toronto, area. The mansion has been host to Michael Bublé, John Travolta, Mick Jagger, and Bono.[47] Herjavec paid $7.5 million for the mansion,[5] which has been featured on MTV Cribs and on Joan Rivers's TV show How'd You Get So Rich?, and the Rolling Stones' tour video. Herjavec also has several other vacation homes.[48]

A passion of Herjavec's is car racing, and he competes in the Ferrari Challenge.[49] Herjavec competed as #007 for The Herjavec Group Racing team in the North American Ferrari Challenge Series, where he won the Rookie of the Year title in 2011, after winning both races at the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Florida, and following up with wins in Laguna Seca Raceway and Lime Rock, Connecticut.[50]

In 2012, Herjavec was selected to be the Grand Marshal for the 2012 Honda Indy Toronto. He is also an avid car collector with several rare cars in his collection.[51]

Herjavec is an avid golfer and runner. He has played in the 2010 Canadian charity open sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada at the Royal St George's Golf Club. He has also competed in the 2011 New York City Marathon and the 2010 Miami Marathon.[52] He is certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors as a scuba diver and owns several Ducati motorcycles.[53]

Herjavec is a major donor to the Union Gospel Mission homeless shelter in Seattle, Washington, after being turned on to the organization by his pastor, whom he consulted to deal with his depression after his marriage fell apart.[54]

He is a Christian.[55]

• Official website
• Robert Herjavec at IMDb