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Robert Herjavec is a Canadian businessman with an estimated net worth of $100 million. Born on September 14, 1962 in Croatia, his family escaped from their country as they were residents of a communist regime in which his father was incarcerated for opening up against the regime and its beliefs. The family was able to escape, and they went to Halifax; with only $20 to their name, they began making a life for themselves, ending up in Toronto. For nearly two years, the entire family lived in one room in a basement at a home belonging to a friend before they were able to learn English well enough to get out and get jobs.

His father taught Robert Herjavec at an early age that you never complain, because things can always be much worse. That is when he learned to make a major change in his life and it is something that has stuck with him his entire life since then. By the time 1984 rolled around, Herjavec was an adult. He graduated college at the University of Toronto with two degrees; Political Science and English. He knew he wanted to support his family and make a difference in the world. He spent the next decade working jobs that did not pay well, such as waiting tables and working retail. He had to support his family, and his father taught him that hard work pays off in the long run.

Robert Herjavec began his professional career in the early 90s as a filmmaker. When he was not making films, he had to make money. He applied for a job with a company called Logiquest selling IBM computers. He quickly rose the ranks and became a general manager. He was fired in 1990 and that’s when he decided to open his own company. BRAK Systems began in the basement of Robert Herjavec’s parent’s home and was sold a decade later to AT&T for $30 million.

That’s when he began to stay home with his kids. He had three kids, and he spent three years with them before opening another business in 2003. That business was called that Herjavec Group. Successful in a way that was unbelievable to him and his family, the company earns more than $500 million per year in sales.

He’s been a reality star, he’s been awarded numberous recognitions from some of the country’s top companies and brands, and he has continued to dabble in the film industry. He loves racing and is often seen racing Ferraris in challenges and competitions. He owns the biggest and most expensive home in all of Canada.

Robert Herjavec married his wife, Diane Plese in 1990. However, they are in the midst of a nasty divorce that they announced in July 2014. Since then, he has decided to enter into a relationship with his Dancing with the Stars partner, professional dancer Kym Johnson. He met her when he was chosen to dance in 2015, about six months after he and his wife announced their separation.

Photo by Chris Weeks/Getty Images for Macy’s

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