John Paul DeJoria: From Homeless with Toddler to Billionaire Founder of Patrón

Before he became a billionaire, John Paul DeJoria’s wife left him with their toddler and a note: she couldn’t handle being a mother anymore.

In the video below, founder of biggest tequila brand recalls finding his son and becoming homeless.

He was 22. His son was two and a half.

DeJoria says his wife had stopped paying the rent without telling him, emptied their small bank account and taken their only car. Soon, he and his son were evicted.

He borrowed an old Cadillac with a broken water pump. It became their home. To buy food, he collected empty bottles and returned them for a few cents each.

He admits that pride made things worse. He didn’t want to tell his family how badly he needed help.

A friend eventually offered them a room and helped him get back on his feet.

In 1980, DeJoria and hairdresser Paul Mitchell started a company with $700 between them. He later co-founded Patrón, which Bacardi acquired in a deal valuing the business at $5.1 billion.

But in this interview, he remembers standing in front of his little boy with no money and no idea how he would feed him.

What kind of mother leaves her toddler behind with a note, and is there any explanation you could accept?


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