Daymond John Biography

American investor, businessman, and television personality Daymond John was born in 1969 in Queens, New York. But long before Daymond rose to prominence as one of the “sharks” on the hit ABC series Shark Tank, he grew up an only child raised largely by his mom and grandfather. John credits a unique high school program, in which he was allowed to work a full-time job and attend school on a modified schedule, as the inspiration for his confidence as an entrepreneur.

In the late 1980’s, Daymond noticed some unique fashion trends coming up in society, but felt that the products created were too expensive. Using his mother’s sewing machine, he began to recreate the products at a lower cost at home and sell them at various venues; after making nearly $1,000 in one afternoon at the New York Coliseum, he decided to start his own business. Risking a second mortgage on the family home, John’s mother supported his efforts and provided him with the capital to start his first business. Daymond credits her as his “first investor.”

The clothing line became FUBU, and the rest, as they say, is history. Although Daymond initially had to wait tables to fund his burgeoning business, it wasn’t long before the business took off and John became the breadwinner in his family, receiving orders for nearly half a million dollars and invitations to participate in fashion trade shows around the country.

Today, Daymond John is one of the era’s most recognizable entrepreneurs and among the most successful in his age group. In 2009, Daymond joined the cast of the ABC series Shark Tank, and since that time he has invested approximately eight million dollars in various small businesses, helping other entrepreneurs launch their own businesses. Aside from his investments on the show, Daymond has also worked with celebrity clients, such as Pitbull, to help them launch their own brands or create revenue streams.

For his achievements, Daymond John has been recognized with two NAACP Entrepreneurs of the Year Award, an Essence Award, Crain’s New York Business Forty Under Forty Award, and two Congressional Achievement Awards for Entrepreneurship. Today, his clothing brand is worn by celebrities such as Will Smith, Magic Johnson, and LL Cool J and is worth an estimated six billion dollars.