- published: 20 Apr 2013
- views: 311367
Robert Herjavec (born September 14, 1962) is a Canadian businessman, investor, author and television personality.
Herjavec was born in 1962 in Varaždin, Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia), and grew up in Zbjeg. In 1970, at the age of eight, the family left the country to escape Marshal Josip Broz Tito's communist regime, which had previously incarcerated Herjavec's father for speaking out against the regime. Herjavec's family arrived in Halifax with a single suitcase and only $20. The family eventually settled in Toronto, where they lived in the basement of a family friend's home for 18 months. For Herjavec, who spoke no English, the transition proved difficult, who, having grown up on a farm and raised by his grandmother among neighbours in similar lifestyles, now found himself in a much poorer economic class than his neighbours. Herjavec's father got a job in a Mississauga factory, making $76 a week—or $464.26 with inflation, in 2015. 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 complain", which became a guiding principle in Herjavec's life, one which he says sparked his sense of perseverance. Another influential episode in his youth came when Herjavec's mother was persuaded by a travelling 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.