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GreekReporter.comBusinessFormer Homeless Greek-Italian Joins Forbes List

Former Homeless Greek-Italian Joins Forbes List

38930-87672-300x300In his struggle for survival, Greek-Italian John Paul Jones DeJoria used to collect bottles and live in his car. Today, he ranks 329th on the Forbes Richest Men in the World List, according to Ellines.com.

Son of immigrant parents, Greek mother and Italian father, DeJoria’s fortune is worth US$4 billion. He was born on April 13, 1944, in Los Angeles. His parents divorced when he was at the early age of two and as a child he had to contribute to the family’s income. His mother handed him and his brother to a foster family. He went through being homeless  twice in his life. The first time he was forced to collect empty bottles from the garbage. The second time, he was obliged to live in his car after he was divorced.

In 1980, he founded, along with hairdresser Paul Mitchell, John Paul Mitchell Systems, a company that manufactured hair care products. From then on, DeJoria has successfully been involved in a number of business ventures that have placed him among the 500 richest men in the world.

DeJoria founded the company Patrón Spirits in 1989 that currently sells over 2 million cases of tequila annually. He has been one of the founding partners of the House of Blues nightclub chain. He has interests in Rum, Ultimat Vodka, Solar Utility, Sun King Solar, Touchstone Natural Gas, Three Star Energy, Diamond Audio, and a Harley Davidson dealership.

Within the framework of his important charity and environmental work, he has cooperated with famous personalities, such as Brad Pitt, Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela.

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