Herjavec’s rides embrace a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, a Ford GT that Jay Leno helped him purchase, and a Thunderbird as soon as owned by Frank Sinatra: "I’m the simplest man on the earth to promote a automotive to."
“Some folks say, ‘I don’t know why I’m into vehicles,’ however for me, it was crystal clear,” says Robert Herjavec, one of many Sharks on ABC’s long-running Shark Tank, as he sits on the again of his Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s tailgating seats on a late summer season morning, at a location he’d desire to not disclose for security functions.
“I’m an immigrant. I got here right here with my dad and I’m an solely baby who escaped from a communist nation [Yugoslavia], and we got here to Canada with one suitcase and no cash. The entire melodramatic story. A number of years later — I will need to have been about 10 years outdated on the time, and I’m strolling down the road with my dad and we see this factor coming down the street and I say to my dad, ‘What’s that?’ And my dad says, in his thick accent, ‘That Cadillac?’ And I’m like, ‘What’s a Cadillac?’ ”
The Emmy-nominated TV host and producer continues, “The Yugo was the recent automotive [back in Yugoslavia] and so my dad says, ‘That Cadillac … [that’s] for wealthy folks.’ And the way in which he stated it and the way in which he liked vehicles, that was it for me. I used to be hooked. I didn’t know what a Cadillac was, I didn’t know what wealthy folks had been, however ever since then, I wished vehicles.”
The son, who now has houses in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, later purchased a pearl white Cadillac Sedan DeVille for his father. “Whether or not you want vehicles otherwise you don’t like vehicles, the automotive meant one thing to my dad. He was speechless once I gave him the keys,” recollects Herjavec, who married his second spouse, skilled dancer Kym Johnson, in 2016; the 2 met when he competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2015 and was paired along with her. For himself, Herjavec has since expertly curated an eclectic assortment of classic, luxurious and sports activities vehicles, every of which is emblematic of his automotive needs.
“From a really early age, I related vehicles with aspiration,” explains Herjavec, who labored briefly as an assistant director in Hollywood earlier than making a fortune in laptop safety and knowledge expertise. “Some folks fall in love with vehicles due to the mechanics or due to the engine. I fell in love with vehicles for what they stood for and what they meant and for the liberty they symbolize.”
One in all his most notable vehicles is a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, which was as soon as Frank Sinatra’s and is seen in a well-known picture from the identical yr. After Herjavec acquired the Ford, he was capable of purchase the fedora Sinatra wore within the picture, too.
His assortment additionally features a 1958 Porsche 356; a 2019 Porsche Speedster; a limited-edition 2020 Ford GT; an ultra-rare 2021 Mercedes-AMG GTR Black Collection P One version, considered one of solely 275 made; a 1971 Ferrari Daytona (“Actually an ideal automotive,” he says); and an especially collectible multimillion-dollar 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, of which solely round 700 had been made worldwide.
If you happen to can analogize automotive amassing to life, it’s the LaFerrari that represents the dangers of being an entrepreneur.
“Individuals all the time suppose when you will have a specific amount of success that it’s such as you undergo this door and your life is nothing however rainbows and unicorns and pet canine endlessly. Individuals don’t understand, irrespective of how profitable you could be, there are dangerous days. I went by way of a spell the place I went by way of a extremely tough private time and a tough time for the enterprise and I needed to make this choice. I didn’t have a number of spare money — both I hold the automotive and threat the enterprise or I promote the automotive. So I offered it to a man and made him promise me that he would by no means promote it to someone else and I made myself a promise — in the future I'd purchase this automotive again, however by then I'll have a lot cash, I’ll simply write a test for it and never even give it some thought.
“So fast-forward seven years later,” he continues, “I promote a chunk of my enterprise for a considerable sum of money and the very first thing I do is I name the man, like I’ve known as him yearly, and say, ‘Please promote me the automotive.’ He’s like, ‘I actually love the automotive.’ Lengthy story — I talked him into it and I purchase the automotive again and simply write a test for it.”
Since Shark Tank is now 14 seasons in — the brand new season premiered Sept. 23 and consists of Gwyneth Paltrow as a visitor Shark — the query arises: Has his entry to uncommon autos gotten higher because the collection has progressed and his fame has elevated?
“It’s humorous you requested that: About 10 years in the past, I spotted one of many advantages of being a celeb is the automotive producers gives you entry to sure vehicles. I by no means need a deal. I simply need entry. As you realize, there are very particular vehicles on the market, and being on Shark Tank, I’m the automotive man on the present and I’ve turn out to be recognized for that.”
However even for a automotive man like Herjavec, typically gaining access to a sure automotive remains to be a problem. “My spouse thinks that is nuts, however for a few of these vehicles, you must interview with the president of the corporate, and if you move it’s an important feeling, however even I can’t get sure vehicles. After I couldn’t get the Ford GT, I known as my good buddy Jay Leno, and I’m like, ‘Please, Jay, can you set in a name for me?’ I take advantage of that favor very sparingly, as a result of I don’t ever wish to be that man, however I leaned on Jay to assist me get the Ford GT.”
When requested how the emotional aspect of being a automotive collector pertains to his pragmatic enterprise aspect, Herjavec pauses for a second and says with fun, “Nicely, to begin with, I misinform myself as a result of I solely purchase stuff I really like, however I inform myself it’s a superb funding or there may be some pragmatic aspect to it. However I like to hunt for vehicles, I really like to look and love to search out them. I really like to search out the that means of the vehicles alone and my tastes are very eclectic. Have a look at my Morgan,” he says, waxing on about his love of the cherry pink 2002 Morgan Plus 8 Roadster. “I really like the emotion behind it and I feel so that you can personal a Morgan, you’ve received to understand what a Morgan is. I really like issues which are pure in function. It’s not luxurious, however if you need a top-down British — and I imply a very British expertise — it’s the Morgan.”
After years of negotiating offers on Shark Tank, you'll suppose that one of many predominant Sharks — a person who has negotiated greater than $16.5 million price of offers, in accordance with Sharkalytics, a web site that tracks the investments on the present — would have some suggestions for negotiating a tough discount for a automotive, however right here Herjavec once more laughs. “That’s such an important query since you would suppose that, proper, I’m a superb negotiator, however I’m the simplest man on the earth to promote a automotive to. I feign negotiation, but when I really like the automotive and I’m like, ‘Prepared, let’s go,’ I have already got my checkbook or my card out and I've this large smile on my face, after which I’ll inform you, ‘I wish to deal,’ however you realize what, I don’t imply it. If I adore it, I simply wish to purchase it.”
This story first appeared within the Sept. 28 problem of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.