Daymond Garfield John is an American entrepreneur, investor, television personality, author and
motivational speaker.
He is best known as the founder, president, and CEO of FUBU, and appears as an investor
on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank.
He is currently based in New York City.
Early life John grew up in Queens neighborhood of Hollis.
An only child, John was raised by his mother and grandfather.
He attended Bayside High School.
In high school, he participated in a co-op program that allowed him to work a full-time
job and attend school on an alternating weekly basis, which he credits with instilling an
entrepreneurial spirit.
After graduating high school, he started a commuter van service.)
Career FUBU
Wool hats with their tops off and tied with fishing line were popular, and John noticed
them being sold for $20, which he considered overpriced.
He went home and sewed around 90 hats with his next-door neighbor.
They sold their homemade hats for $10 each in front of the New York Coliseum, and made
$800 in a single day.
Sensing potential, Daymond and his mother mortgaged their house for $100,000 to generate
start-up capital.
In addition to Brown, he recruited longtime friends J. Alexander Martin and Keith Perrin
into the business, and began sewing the FUBU logo onto hockey jerseys, sweatshirts, and
t-shirts.
To make ends meet, John held a full-time job at Red Lobster, working on the FUBU business
in between shifts.
In 1993, he convinced LL Cool J, an old neighborhood friend, to wear a FUBU t-shirt for a promotional
campaign.
Later, while filming a 30-second advertising spot for The Gap, LL Cool J wore a FUBU hat
in the commercial and incorporated the line "for us, by us" in his rapping.
FUBU gained nationwide exposure when John and his partners traveled to Magic, a trade
show in Las Vegas in 1994.
Despite not being able to afford a booth, FUBU received over $300,000 worth of orders.
FUBU continued growing, signing contracts with Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and the National
Basketball Association and a distribution deal with Samsung Electronics.
By 1998, FUBU returned $350 million in revenues.
Currently, FUBU has amassed over six billion dollars in global sales.
Shark Tank In 2009, John joined the cast of Shark Tank,
a show in which John and four other business executives listen to business pitches from
everyday people, and decide whether or not to invest money in their projects.
Assuming every on-camera deal happened, John has invested $700,000 in Shark Tank projects
as of October 15, 2009.
In April 2013 Daymond partnered with Nate Holzapfel the owner of Mission Belt Co.
Consulting and speaking Through his reputation as FUBU's CEO, John
has become a public speaker.
He works with brands and celebrities to create additional revenue streams and brand extensions;
some of his clients include Pitbull and the Miss Universe Organization.
John is also a brand ambassador for the e-commerce company Shopify.
As a motivational and business speaker, John speaks about marketing, negotiations, and
entrepreneurship.
Some of his recent speaking engagements include California First Lady Maria Shriver’s Women’s
Conference, AT&T’s History Makers Tour, and Babson College School of Entrepreneurship.
Awards and reception
John has received numerous awards, including Brandweek Marketer of the Year, the NAACP
Entrepreneurs of the Year Award, the Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad
Campaign, the Essence Award, Crain’s Business of New York Forty Under Forty Award, Ernst
& Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Brandeis University International
Business School’s Asper Award for Excellence in Global Entrepreneurship, Details 50 Most
Influential Men, and the Congressional Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship.
FUBU has received attention from the sports and entertainment industry, and has been worn
or endorsed by LL Cool J, Janet Jackson, Will Smith, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Magic
Johnson, Lennox Lewis, and Whitney Houston.
Books John has written two books, Display of Power
and The Brand Within.
Display of Power is an autobiography that details John's life and early business career.
Personal life John is dyslexic.
Two of his favorite books are Think and Grow Rich and Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Filmography The Crow: Wicked Prayer as Proud Foot Joe
Shark Tank as himself The Game as himself
The Real as himself, episode 3 Sharknado 2: The Second One as himself
References
External links Official website