We, humans, tend to need some motivation to keep us going. Therefore, we look up to successful and affluent people to provide that need. Tony Robbins, the life coach, is known to be one of those people. This self-help guru has counseled presidents, Fortune 500 CEOs, and millions of folks worldwide.
However, with the controversies that have surrounded him—from firewalk incidents to his involvement in the #MeToo movement, there are things about him and his life that are worth knowing before you dive head first into his teachings. Note: Not everything about him is what it seems.
Tough Childhood
Anthony J. Mahavoric, otherwise known as Tony Robbins, grew up as the eldest child among three kids. He was just seven when his parents got divorced. They were a poor family, and that's why they couldn’t even celebrate holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving most of the time.
Their mom only made their living conditions worse by being a drug-dependent alcoholic. Tony took care of his siblings, along with household responsibilities. As if that wasn’t enough, his mom also abused him. He was 17 when she chased him out of their home with a knife. Tony never returned.
Had A Life-threatening Tumor
Surprisingly, Tony was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor in his brain. Sources say that it only affects 6 out 100,000 people. Although benign, the rare condition can cut a person’s lifespan by a decade if left untreated. Luckily, his life-threatening condition is now stable, without any health risks.
However, the condition increased his growth hormone levels though, which should explain why he suddenly experienced a growth spurt in his adolescence that led to his 6’7” height. French actor and professional wrestler André the Giant was another well-known personality who had the same disorder.
From A Short Boy To A Giant Man
Looking like he could’ve been a professional basketball player at 6’7”, it was quite hard to believe that Robbins stood at a shorter stature in the past. Interestingly, he was just 5’1” when he got into high school. At 16 years old, he reached 5’7”.
His short height only fueled his determination. This drive motivated him to be the best at whatever he wanted to accomplish. During his senior year, he even became the student body president. According to Tony, that drive is what enables him to face with 5,000 people at a time today.
He Was Once A Broke Janitor
No longer in high school and off living on his own, the 17-year-old Robbins had to give up his dreams of earning a degree in sports journalism. He was now surviving on being a janitor, earning $40 a week. Despite everything, Tony did not let his morale drop.
He was determined for his willpower was projected at a goal: to meet the businessman and motivational speaker named Jim Rohn. He set aside $35, attended the three-hour session, and then asked Jim for a job. The speaker saw Tony’s potential, so he agreed to mentor him.
Almost Died Because Of A Fish
Tony Robbins used to be vegan. So to incorporate animal protein into his diet again, he had to do it gradually. During this process of lifestyle change, he suffered a scare in reintroducing fish to his system. The self-help specialist was chowing down on tuna and swordfish when he got poisoned.
Due to the build-up of mercury in his blood, Tony almost died. He now advises anyone who loves to consume fish to get their blood tested whenever they can. At present, his diet still involves a lot of vegetables but with small servings of land-based protein all through the week.
Unhappily Married For 14 Long Years
In 1984, Robbins made a bride out of a woman named Rebecca “Becky” Jenkins, whom he met at one of his seminars. When they tied the knot, Becky already had two sons, a 17-year-old and a 5-year-old, as well as an 11-year-old daughter, who were all from two separate marriages.
Tony had a son named Jairek with his former girlfriend named Liz Acosta. It seemed like their marriage was meant to last when they made it to a decade. But in 1998, they filed for divorce. Tony remained by Becky’s side until the youngest of her kids went off to university.
Became A Millionaire By 24
At 24 years old, most of us were just still trying to find our way through the job market. But that wasn't the case for Robbins, because he already had a millionaire status by this age. By becoming Jim Rohn’s apprentice, he became the promo man of his mentor’s motivational seminars.
Not long after, he began to offer people the same services that Rohn did. That was how his profession as a motivational speaker started. Two years later, his first book titled Unlimited Power became such a hit that it propelled him into more success, apart from the fire walking of course!
Tony Robbins, The CEO Whisperer
As he became a juggernaut in the self-help community, Robbins found himself catering to some of the globe’s most influential people. He was not only able to sway Oprah Winfrey to do the fire walk, but he also worked with the likes of Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and more.
Even the founder of Salesforce, Marc Benioff, gives the merit of his decision to put up his own cloud computing company to this so-called CEO Whisperer. Benioff was 28 and employed at a big corporation when he first met the self-help expert. Now, the 54-year-old is a $6.4B-worth Internet business tycoon!
He's A Best-selling Author
As an author, Tony Robbins has already released five books so far. The first three were Unshakeable Power, Awaken the Giant Within, and Giant Steps. In 2014, he got motivated to write about the financial crisis and its big impact on many Americans’ retirement investments. Therefore, he came out with Money: Master the Game.
By December of that same year, the book became the #1 New York Times best-seller. In 2017, he co-wrote Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook together with Peter Mallouk, the head of the financial management firm called Creative Planning.
He Swears By Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
There have been reports that Tony advocates Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a much-debated belief system that can be traced back to the ‘70s era in California. The NLP association has said that studying it helps us understand how our thought patterns can have an impact on the facets of our lives.
It has been described by Dr. Richard Bandler, its co-creator, as an absolute fountain of youth, which affirms the ability of our consciousness to affect human DNA evolution. So basically, NLP presupposes that our capacity to control our consciousness can greatly affect our DNA’s quality keeping us in an optimum state.
A High Price For A “Date With Destiny”
In packaging himself and his services as a brand, Robbins has found a way for most people to willingly pay whatever it takes just to get him for a private coaching therapy session. By far, one of his most expensive events is Date with Destiny, which goes on for six days.
It is packaged as a seminar for people who want a major breakthrough experience in their lives. The ticket prices per person can range from a bank-breaking $5K up to a whopping $12K. With this price point, the event draws an extensive array of people, from multi-millionaires to students.
Business Partners Once Walked Out Leaving Him With A $150 Million Bill...
Before Robbins was able to climb on top of the success ladder, he first had to pay off $150 million. That was a lot of money! When his business and brand was just beginning to grow, he trusted and hired the wrong people and he had to pay for it.
Needless to say, he figured out a way to clear it. When he shared this story in an interview with Behind The Brand, he didn’t say exactly how. He just said that he did, and he was able to grow exponentially from what had happened.
...Now His Companies Rake In $6 Billion Per Year
Speaking engagements aren’t the only ones that Tony Robbins focuses on. He also put his mind into the Anthony Robbins Company, making more than a few ventures through it. He now has a diverse business portfolio that covers industries - from education, hospitality, service to media production.
Annually, approximately $6 billion are brought in by his companies when combined. Tony himself is valued at an estimated net worth of half a billion dollars as of 2019. He’s even ranked as one of Accenture’s Top 50 Business Intellectuals, and on the Top 200 Gurus list of Havard Business Press.
His Current Wife's Ex Sued Him
About four years after his divorce, Tony was able to marry again. This time, it was with a woman named Sage, a Canadian-born actress whom he initially had business relations with. She was the previous wife of a Canadian entrepreneur named John Lynch and he wasn’t happy.
The businessman sued Tony for allegedly engaging in a relationship with Sage while they were still together. After countering Lynch with a suit for defamation of character, Tony ended up winning the case while bagging $20K in damages. Sage and the guru are still married to this day.
Fire-walking Injured Participants
Throughout the years, thousands of people have lined up to be a part of Tony’s seminars, where the guru’s firewalk rituals take place. Majority of the folks who go through this symbol of overcoming fear complete the task unscathed. But in 2016, over 30 participants from Dallas, Texas got burned.
It happened after someone called 911, which caused people to panic. A bus was immediately turned into a makeshift staging area nearby. After the incident, Tony’s representative clarified that only five out of 7,000 attendees had asked to be taken to the hospital that evening.
Caught On Tape Using Racial Slurs
Nowadays, leaked celebrity photos are becoming more common because of the Internet. However, when it comes to videos from the past, that’s a whole different story—especially if you’re caught saying racially inappropriate words in them. This was what Tony experienced when one of his video presentations from the ‘80s resurfaced.
In it, he was filmed saying the "N" word and even incorporated it in a song. According to Robbins, he had no intention to be racist towards anyone. His audience then was made up predominantly of African-Americans, and they were just having a discussion on how to overcome racial differences.
Running Into Trouble With The Law
Although it seems like Tony Robbins is a faultless man, he has been taken to court on multiple occasions. In 1995, the Federal Trade Commission accused his Robbins Research (R.R.I) of violating their Franchise Rule. It outlines practices that are deliberated as false or prejudiced within the US franchising trade.
The Franchise Rule was made effective by the FTC in 1979, and through the years, it had been updated for over several times already. The R.R.I. chose to resolve the matter by shelling out $221.26K, but they never acknowledged that they had violated the law.
Accused By Wade Cook Of Ripping Off His Book, Wall Street Money Machine
Tony’s legal woes did not stop there. The self-declared financial expert and author Wade Cook took legal action against him. According to Cook, Robbins had allegedly used terms that were copyrighted from his own Wall Street Money Machine book in one of his financial seminars.
Robbins did agree that he read Cook’s book and also met up with him. However, he was doubtful whether it was unlawful to use the notions that were outlined in the Wall Street Money Machine. Ultimately, Cook won the case and was given the amount of $655.9K.
His Mansplaining #MeToo Didn't Sit Well With The Public
The #MeToo movement has been a big subject since 2017, with big names and celebrities backing it up. The movement formed in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and has helped reveal the widespread pervasiveness of indecent assault and harassment that women suffer in their workplace.
In March 2018, Robbins came under fire when he made comments about the movement while he was hosting a seminar at San Jose, California. To sum it up, Robbins said that some women only use the movement to feel significant, which he likened to drug addiction.
Accusations Of Abuse & Indecent Misconduct
After the repercussions of his comments, Tony posted an apology on his Facebook page and shared his regard for the movement. However, leaked audio recordings and transcriptions from his exclusive seminars and events came out. In them, he criticized violence victims as well as those who were intimately violated.
Some of his ex-staff members and fans who were female also came forward to accuse him of inappropriate carnal advances which marred their mental health. At this point, only time will tell what will become of Tony Robbins, the self-help guru who’s help can no longer be fully trusted.
I Am Not Your Guru, The Docufilm
In 2015, filmmaker Joe Berlinger directed a documentary called Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. He produced the project by covering seminars from Florida’s Date with Destiny events the year before it was produced. In 2016, the documentary made its début at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
It also became the opener for the American Documentary Film Festival (Amdocs). Netflix, the streaming TV platform, released it on the same year with translations for nearly 190 nations. Berlinger is also the man behind the highly-praised Netflix original Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.
His Son Jairek Follows In His Footsteps
As for Tony’s son, Jairek, he ended up treading the same career path that his father did. Before successfully getting his psychology degree from the University of San Diego, he first visited nine countries, including Brazil, Tanzania, and Japan for a Semester at Sea program. He stayed in each country for a week.
Jairek shared in an interview with Forbes that he drew inspiration from that experience when it came to volunteering. And in working for the Anthony Robbins Foundation, he was able to start off his professional career in 2002.
He Lives In A $24.75M Mansion
Robbins is living the life right on his beachfront home in Palm Beach, Florida. It makes sense that he chooses to live in this area since he loves the ocean. In 2013, Tony acquired the deluxe house for $24.75M. He has a great view of the ocean from his master bedroom.
The home also has a 165,000-gallon infinity pool that’s worth boasting about. Robbins had made enhancements on his house in 2016, which reached an estimated amount of $10M. The highly-acclaimed guru also has other properties found in Sun Valley, Palm Springs, and also in his spouse’s home country - Canada.
He Has Cryotherapy Sessions At Home
Even though Tony’s properties are found in warm locations, he starts every other day of his week with three-minute dips into cold, cold water. The 6’7” juggernaut plunges into water set at -220° all for its health benefits. He decided to keep the technology readily available.
He has his very own cryotherapy machine in his Florida home. It aids in reducing the chances of being exposed to disease-causing inflammation. Sources say that other celebs like Alicia Keys, Floyd Mayweather, and Cristiano Ronaldo also use these cryotherapy units, which can cost from $45K to $60K.
Travels On A Private, Multi-million Dollar Jet
Who buys a private jet just to help them improve their productivity?! Well, Tony Robbins does. He purchased the second-hand deluxe ride from Micky Arison, owner of the basketball team, Miami Heat. Tony didn’t reveal the price, but Business Jet Traveler gave reports that he acquired it at a jaw-dropping amount.
The jet that he now owns is a Bombardier Global Express XRS comparable to the Global 5000 which goes up to an estimated price of $50.4M. Aside from that, Tony wrote in Awaken the Giant Within, a book he released in 1992, that he owned a jet helicopter as well!
Has A 5-star Fiji Resort In His Name
The grand Namale Resort and Spa in Fiji is a five-star haven that’s also owned by Tony Robbins. It has 525 acres of land where one can go on scuba diving trips, and indulge in hydrotherapy, and massage therapy. Oprah even included it on her 2012 Favorite Things list.
In 2017, one of Tony’ Life & Wealth Mastery sessions was done on this resort. As the proprietor, Robbins can take a getaway to his magical paradise for free anytime he wants. But for guests, they have to cash out $1.145K for its nightly rate.
He Owns Los Angeles Football Club With Peter Guber, Will Ferrell, and Magic Johnson
In launching an LA-based Major League Football franchise, Robbins teamed up with a few notable people to make an investment. Some of them were CEO Peter Guber, comedian Will Ferrell, and former NBA player Magic Johnson. Currently dubbed as the Los Angeles Football Club, the team started the competitions in 2018.
About $250M of the investors’ private funds were also allocated towards building a stadium in downtown LA. Through YouTube streaming services, the team is able to broadcast their regional matches as well. For the Spanish radio broadcasts, KFWB handles it with a play-by-play analysis delivered by Armando Aguayo.
Loves Doing Cameos In Hit Shows & Films
You might’ve already seen Robbins in a few TV shows and full movies, but just forgot about it. The self-help expert made cameos for films like Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, and of course, Shallow Hal. As for television appearances, he was seen on The Roseanne Show as well as The Sopranos.
In 2010, he was featured on a reality TV show called Breakthrough with Tony Robbins. However, NBC canceled it just after airing two out of its six planned episodes. The Oprah Winfrey Network saved it not just by airing re-runs the first season, but by pushing through with a second season.
Yes, He Was Even Lampooned On Family Guy
Tony Robbins was lampooned in two episodes of the Family Guy, the animated sitcom from Fox. His first appearance was in an episode called When You Wish Upon A Weinstein, where his cartoon form was having a book signing. The next time was in the episode titled, Pal Stewie.
Here, Peter Griffin was dragged by his wife Lois to one of the self-help coach’s seminars. This episode spoofed the tenacious nature of Robbins to help out his spectators. The "cartoonized" Tony hid inside Peter’s car just to aid Griffin in becoming a more assertive man.
Helps Feed People From Over 56 Countries
We all know by now that Robbins is a man who emerged from humble beginnings. So, him helping out the poor and the less fortunate is like looking back at his roots. Anthony Robbins Foundation aids those who need help from seniors, vagrants, inmates, and inner-city youth.
The charity sends Tony’s self-help books as well as audiotapes to imprisoned people. They also feed more than four million people in 56 nations. In India, the organization’s International Basket Brigade guarantees that 100,000 individuals have access to fresh water. The statistics of deaths from water-borne diseases have gone down significantly.