"Diversification plus that fixed income nut" — Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary reveals his mother's philosophy that influenced him

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary recently shared his late mother, Georgette O'Leary's, business philosophy that gave "insane" returns over 55 years. In a video clip posted on his official Instagram account (@kevinolearytv) on May 12, 2025, Kevin spoke about his mother's strategic investments that generated significant profits, which he applied to his business venture, O'Shares Investments.

"Georgette's philosophy was diversification plus that fixed income nut. 50/50 portfolio," Kevin said.

The Shark Tank expert explained that his mother's plan was not to invest more than 5% in a particular stock and a maximum of 20% in a single sector. With this diversification ideology, Kevin stated that Georgette could earn significant returns, which she subsequently used to cover his and his brother's college fees and other expenses.

Kevin applied the same philosophy to build O'Shares Investments, crediting his late mother for influencing his ideas and impacting his business decisions.

---

"She never touched the principal" — Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary explains how his mother handled her investments

In the video posted on Kevin's Instagram account, the investor admitted that his mother's influence shaped him into who he is today. He then gave a detailed breakdown of how Georgette invested her money to ensure she would have high returns later in her life.

"She would take 15% of her salary and invest in two asset classes. But remember, she's not an analyst," Kevin added.

The Shark Tank panelist explained that his mother bought five to seven-year Telco bonds for 50%, generating 7 to 7.5%, and then "big" dividend-paying stocks in the S&P 500. Kevin added that Georgette firmly believed that people would "freeze themselves" and turn the electricity off before they turned their phones off, implying that people loved to talk.

She also believed in diversifying her investments. Consequently, she invested her money in ten different sectors available at the time, excluding the 11th, real estate, which "came in later."

The Shark Tank expert further disclosed that his mother never told her first husband, Terry, or her second husband about her investments. Kevin said he learned about it only after she passed away, when the executor informed him that his mother "died a very wealthy woman."

"I said, 'What are you talking about? We're middle class. There's no way.' He said, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, no, you've got to come down here,'" Kevin recalled.

The investor remembered that after he met with the executor, he contacted his brother, Shane O'Leary, and told him how surprised he was by the amount of money their mother had left behind.

"She never touched the principal," Kevin mentioned.

The Shark Tank alum added that he always wondered how his mother paid "for everything," including his college, her sisters, and their husbands' expenses. His curiosity was answered when he realized what Georgette had done with the money throughout the years and how she had never touched the principal.

Kevin explained that she only used the interests from the Telco bonds and the dividends to achieve "insane" returns over 55 years.

"She caught the market then some," he said.

He stated that he used his mother's business ideology to design "the whole platform" of O'Shares Investments. Kevin also mentioned that it was the "only thing" he purchased for his family trust.

---

Follow Kevin O'Leary on Instagram, @kevinolearytv, or catch him on Shark Tank, airing every Friday at 8 pm ET, only on ABC.