John Paul DeJoria
| John Paul DeJoria | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
John Paul Jones DeJoria April 13, 1944 Echo Park, Los Angeles, United States |
| Nationality |
American Greek Italian |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | John Paul Mitchell Systems |
| Net worth |
 US$2.8 billion (2015)
|
| Spouse(s) | Eloise Broady (June 13, 1993 – present) |
| Children | 4 (Alexis, Micehelene, others not listed.) |
John Paul Jones DeJoria (born April 13, 1944) is a Greek-Italian-American billionaire businessman and philanthropist best known as a co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company.
John Paul Jones DeJoria was born the second son of an Italian immigrant father and a Greek immigrant mother on April 13, 1944 in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. His parents divorced by the time he was two years old, and at nine he began selling Christmas cards and newspapers with his older brother to support his family. He grew up in Atwater Village on Garden Ave and then Revere. He attended Atwater Elementary and John Marshall High School. When his single mother proved unable to support both children, they were sent to an East Los Angeles foster home.
As a youth, DeJoria was a member of a street gang, but decided to change his life after being told by his high school math teacher that he would "never succeed at anything in life". He graduated from high school in 1962 and spent two years in the United States Navy serving on the USS Hornet, after which he held a series of jobs ranging from a janitor to an insurance salesman.
DeJoria entered the world of hair care as an employee of Redken Laboratories. He was fired from this position, he claims over a disagreement on business strategies. In 1980, he formed John Paul Mitchell Systems with hairdresser Paul Mitchell and a loan for $700. DeJoria also owns 70% of The Patron Spirits Company. The company is a tequila brand, and in 2011 they sold approximately 2,450,000 cases. Additionally, DeJoria has a business interest in the African oil industry through his holdings in Madagascar Oil Ltd.
DeJoria co-founded the Patrón Spirits Company in 1989 and is a founding partner of the House of Blues nightclub chain and has interests in Pyrat Rum, Smokey Mountain Bison Farm, llc, Ultimat Vodka, Solar Utility, Sun King Solar, Touchstone Natural Gas, Three Star Energy, Diamond Audio, a Harley-Davidson dealership, a diamond company (DeJoria), mobile technology developer ROK AMERICAS, the John Paul Pet company, which does hair and personal grooming for animals, and J&D Acquisitions LLC, the parent company for the Larson, Striper, Triumph, Marquis and Carver boat companies formed with Minneapolis-based investor Irwin L. Jacobs.
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