Introduction

Robert Herjavec is a Croatian-born Canadian investor, businessman, and television personality with an estimated net worth of $300 Million

Before Wealth & Fame

Believe it or not, Robert Herjavec’s career began in the film industry as an assistant director. He worked behind the scenes on numerous productions, including The Return of Billy Jack and Cain and Abel. He also served as a field producer with Global TV for the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

A couple of years later, Herjavec learned of an opening at a computer startup called Logquest, which sold IBM mainframe emulation boards. The job paid $30,000 per year, but he was underqualified for the position. Still, Herjavec managed to secure the job by offering to work for free for the first six months. To keep food on the table, he waited tables during the evenings until Logquest paid him a full-time salary. Robert quickly rose to become president of the company, but was fired in 1990.

BRAK Systems

Following his dismissal, Robert Herjavec launched his first major company, BRAK Systems, which was one of Canada’s first cybersecurity companies. The company helped Canadian businesses procure and integrate network security solutions, and was operated entirely out of Herjavec’s basement. Ten years later, in 2000, AT&T acquired BRAK Systems for $30.2 million.

The Herjavec Group

After AT&T acquired BRAK Systems, Robert Herjavec became the vice president of Ramp Network, though the company was sold to Nokia for $126 million just several months later.

In 2003, now with a substantial amount of money to his name, Robert Herjavec founded the Herjavec Group, which quickly became one of the fastest-growing technology companies in Canada. The business also operates in the cybersecurity industry and has since merged with Fishtech Group and rebranded to Cyderes. The company currently reports annual revenues of $108.4 million and employs 425 people.

Apax Partners acquired a majority stake in The Herjavec Group in 2021, but Robert is believed to still hold a stake in the company. He also continued to serve as the CEO of Cyderes until 2024.

Shark Tank

By the time Robert Herjavec joined Shark Tank in its debut season in 2009, he already had a net worth in the tens of millions of dollars. Before Shark Tank began airing, Herjavec had actually been involved in Canada’s Dragon’s Den since 2006. He joined fellow sharks Daymond John, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Kevin O’Leary.

Thus far, Herjavec has starred in all seventeen seasons of Shark Tank, appearing in 323 episodes. According to our research, he’s invested approximately $7.58 million in 39 companies that have pitched in the tank. Several reports suggest that Herjavec has invested more than $16 million, but they also include failed post-show negotiations. Not every deal that’s accepted on the show actually gets finalized. Here’s a list of the companies that accepted Herjavec’s offer on the show, but ultimately fell through afterward:

• Gift Card Rescue
• Soy-Yer-Dough
• Mod Mom Furniture
• Hill Billy Brand
• Orig Audio
• You Smell Soap
• Focus Designs
• Henry’s Humdingers
• Oru Kayak
• Kronos
• Zero Pollution Motors
• SynDaver Labs

Shark Tank Investments

While that’s a lot of investments to cover, here’s a list of every company Herjavec has invested in on Shark Tank. The table above shows that Robert Herjavec has invested in 39 companies, totaling $7.58 million of his own money. Bear in mind that many of these investments were joint deals made with one or more sharks, but we’ve calculated Herjavec’s share of the investment. 

For two of the deals on the list, Herjavec didn’t receive any equity. Herjavec split a $1450,000 investment in Coffee Joulies with Kevin, Lori, and Daymond for the following:

• Retail royalty – $6 per unit
• Wholesale royalty – $3 per unit
• Perpetuity after recouping their investment – $1 per unit

When Herjavec invested $150,000 into Wall Rx in episode 14 of season five, he didn’t want any equity. Instead, he invested the money in exchange for the rights to sell the product internationally.

While many of these businesses have since closed their doors or filed for bankruptcy, others have continued to thrive. Which begs the question, which of Herjavec’s Shark Tank investments have been the most successful?

Tipsy Elves

Details: $100,000 investment for a 10% stake

After the founders of Tipsy Elves appeared on the fifth season of Shark Tank, they secured a $100,000 investment from Herjavec for 10% of the business. Tipsy Elves launched as an e-commerce business selling Christmas sweatshirts and has since expanded into Halloween costumes, Hawaiian shirts, and other themed clothing.

By 2025, twelve years after appearing on the show and securing investment, Tipsy Elves’ lifetime sales exceeded $317 million. According to Herjavec himself, this was by far his best investment from Shark Tank.

Divorce Settlement

In July 2014, after 24 years of marriage and three children together, Herjavec’s relationship with then-wife Diane Plese came to an end, with Plese filing for divorce in March 2015, claiming that Herjavec had been having extramarital affairs with another woman.

The settlement, ruled by an Ontario Supreme Court, was finalized in 2016 and required Herjavec to pay Plese $125,000 a month in spousal and child support with no set termination date, a $2.6 million equalization payment, and an extra $2.5 million once all their assets had been divided and sold, bringing her total settlement from the marriage to $25 million.

Some of their joint assets included a $17.4 million mansion in the Bridal Path area of Toronto, a $4.8 million holiday home on Fisher Island, Florida, as well as top-of-the-line luxury boats and automobiles, including a rare $1.5 million Ferrari, and several other high-end items.

After the settlement, it was reported that Herjavec struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression following their separation, especially over the estrangement from his children. However, he continued with his life, appearing on season 20 of Dancing with the Stars in 2015 and subsequently marrying his co-star, Kym Johnson, a year later in 2016.

Introduction

Gina Rinehart is an Australian heiress to the Hancock Prospecting Group fortune with an estimated net worth of $25.6 Billion.

The company was founded by Gina’s father, Lang Hancock, whom she worked alongside from an early age to learn the ins and outs of the business. She is the executive chairwoman of her father’s company and Australia’s richest citizen. Rinehart has succeeded in expanding the company since taking over, with her biggest break coming from the iron ore boom in the early 2000s.

Net Worth History

What’s most fascinating about Gina Rinehart’s net worth is that she controls 100% of her late father’s mining company, Hancock Prospecting. The company is privately owned, but most industry experts typically place its valuation between $25 billion and $30 billion. It’s extremely rare for someone to control 100% of a business worth tens of billions of dollars. Though Rinehart’s personal stake is technically only 76.6%, the remaining 23.4% is controlled through a trust set up for her four children. Since her children are now all in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, they likely now control the trusts. 

In fact, three of Rinehart’s children are also listed on the Forbes Billionaires Index:

• John Hancock – $2 billion
• Bianca Rinehart – $1.9 billion
• Hope Welker – $1.9 billion

Rinehart was first listed on the Forbes Billionaires Index in 2007, with an estimated net worth of $1 billion. By 2015, her net worth had increased 15-fold to $15 billion. While Rinehart’s fortune briefly spiked to $17.4 billion the following year, it gradually declined to $13.1 billion by 2020.

After the pandemic, Rinehart’s wealth grew explosively. It hit $23.6 billion in 2021 and $30.2 billion in 2022. Over the last few years, it bounced up and down, but hit an all-time high of $30.8 billion in 2024. At the time of writing, the mining magnate is worth an estimated $25.6 Billion, which makes her the richest person in Australia. 

Hancock Prospecting

In March 1992, Gina’s father passed away, leaving a virtually bankrupt company for her to manage. Not only did she become the Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, but she also became the Executive Chairman of the HPPL Group of companies. She applied for the Roy Holl Tenements five months after her father’s passing, and this became one of her company’s biggest assets.

She obtained the Roy Hill tenements in 1993 and focused entirely on developing them and on Hancock Prospecting. By raising capital through joint partnerships, she turned the leases into huge revenue-producing mines.

Since acquiring Roy Hill, Hancock Prospecting now owns 50% of Hope Downs, giving it a 50% share of the mine’s profits. Hope Downs mine is operated by Rio Tinto and produces 30 million tonnes of iron ore each year.

Since taking over, Gina has invested in copper, iron ore, gold, and coal, as well as cattle and property. Taking her business ideas to the next level, she obtained a 10% stake in Ten Network Holdings in 2010. Later that year, she also purchased a stake in Fairfax Media and, two years later, became its largest shareholder.

In 2015, she managed to obtain Fossil Downs, a huge cattle station and pastoral lease.

By 2012, Gina was referred to as the richest woman in the world due to the growth of her companies. Despite her business success, she kept a low profile, avoiding the media.

In 2015, Gina announced the grand opening of one of Roy Hill’s largest mines, just 8 months after securing $7.9 billion in funding. The next year, Hancock Prospecting entered into a deal to invest in Sirius Minerals.

Gina’s wealth has increased substantially, due to the iron ore-fuelled mining boom in the last decade. This resulted in the company becoming one of the largest privately owned businesses in Australia.

Personal Life

In 1973, Gina Rinehart married Greg Milton and had two children, John Langley and Bianca Hope, before divorcing in 1981. She was married a second time to Frank Rinehart, a German-American corporate lawyer. The couple had two children, Hope and Gina, before Frank passed away in 1990.

Gina’s four children have a strained relationship with their wealthy mother, and, unfortunately, Gina hasn’t had the best relationship with her son John. Gina attended only her two younger daughters’ weddings because of the strained relationship with her older children.

Introduction

Denis Coates is a British entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $7.7 Billion.

With her father, Peter Coates, passing down his knowledge of gambling and working in his betting shops, Denise Coates purchased a gambling website from eBay. This site is now known as bet365, making her the wealthiest woman in the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts

• Holds a 50.3% stake in the British sports betting company bet365
• Received a total compensation of £2.65 billion from 2016 to 2025
• Peak annual compensation of £469 million in 2020
• The highest-paid CEO in the United Kingdom
• Acquired 100% of Stoke City F.C. for £1.7 million in 2006
• Invested more than £330 million in the club

Net Worth History

Forbes first listed Denise Coates as a billionaire sometime in 2013 or 2014, thanks to the rapid growth of bet365. The company is the original source of almost all of Denise’s fortune, with her net worth being derived from her 50.3% stake and annual compensation. Now, in most cases, the CEO or co-CEO would earn substantial sums each year in salary and bonuses. However, assuming that they’re also the majority shareholder of the company, this compensation would often pale in comparison to the value of their shares.

What’s interesting about Coates is that she’s been the highest-paid CEO in the United Kingdom for over a decade. We’ll discuss her pay packet in more detail shortly, but for now, let’s focus on how her net worth has evolved over time. The point is that any increases in her fortune come from her salary, dividends, and the market value of her bet365 shares.

By 2017, Denise Coates’ net worth had reached an estimated $3.6 billion. According to Forbes, she then realized a drastic appreciation to $5 billion and $6.5 billion over the next two years. There was a brief setback to $4.5 billion in 2020, as expected, and since then, her wealth has been on an upward-trending rollercoaster.

Coates reached a peak net worth of $9.5 billion in 2024, and at the time of writing, she’s worth an estimated $7.7 Billion.

Before Wealth & Fame

While Coates was still at school, she assisted in her father’s betting business, working in the cashiers’ department of Provincial Racing. The family-owned bookmaking firm required an accountant, so she, as the eldest daughter, took over the bookkeeping. As Provincial Racing’s accountant, she acquired intimate knowledge of how the business operated, and in 1995, she became the managing director.

bet365

In 1999, Coates purchased the online betting domain name bet365.com from eBay for $25,000 and set about creating an online gambling portal. The company launched the online betting platform in 2001, borrowing $22.5 million (£15 million) from RBS against its betting shops as collateral. Four years later, in 2005, the shops were sold to Coral for a cool $69.2 million (£40 million), allowing Coates to repay the loan.

In 2015, bet365 moved its headquarters from Stoke, UK, to Gibraltar due to favorable regulations, including a low corporate tax rate. Establishing the online business in Gibraltar also benefited Coates from the UK-influenced regulatory environment and from Gibraltar’s status as a leading international blockchain and virtual assets hub.

bet365 Compensation

The table above shows Denise Coates’ annual compensation at bet365 from 2016 to 2025. As you can see, she received £2.65 billion during the period, which equates to roughly $3.55 billion in USD. This is the largest amount of money that a CEO of a British company received during the same timeframe, and works out to an average of £265 million ($355 million) per year. 

According to the data, £541 million of Coates’ compensation came from dividends, typically in the ballpark of £50 million per year, give or take £10 million, except in 2025, when she received £177 million.

As for her annual salary, for most of the years provided, she earned at least £200 million. The standout year was 2020, when she earned £421 million in salary, plus £48 million in dividends, bringing her total compensation to £469 million ($610 million).

Stoke City Football Club Acquisition

In 2006, Denise Coates and her family acquired 100% of the EPL soccer club, Stoke City F.C., for a reported £1.7 million through bet365. At the time of the acquisition, the club was roughly £9 million in debt, and that debt was growing. Since buying the team, the Coates family has invested at least £330 million into Stoke City. They’ve essentially lost money nearly every year since 2006, except for the 2024/25 calendar year just gone, in which they recorded profits of £60 million.

In the late 2010s, these losses were substantial, including an £88 million loss in the 2019/20 season. The reason this is important is that the club’s valuation, according to recent estimates, is only about £300 million, which is less than Coates and bet365 have invested. Instead, the family’s acquisition of Stoke City F.C. appears to have been more of a promotional play. The team plays at the bet365 Stadium and sports the bet365 logo on their kit, generating significant advertising for the business.