Last Updated on March 4, 2024
Who is GaryVee?
Gary Vaynerchuk, better known as Gary Vee, is a notable entrepreneur, business consultant, and CEO. Gary started his career as the co-owner and director of operations of Wine Library. This led to him being dubbed the first wine guru of the YouTube era.
He is a wine critic who grew his family-run wine business from $3 million to $6o million. His entrepreneurial spirit and critical eye for business trends have helped him achieve rapid success in his business ventures. In addition to being a public speaker on topics like social media, e-commerce, and brand building, GaryVee is also an author and has written several books.
He is the founder of Empathy Wines and Resy. He is also the co-founder of VaynerMedia and chairman of VaynerX. He is famous for being an early adopter and angel investor of today’s many popular social media platforms.
Additionally, he hosts a vlog on his YouTube channel, GaryVee. Gary has over 2 million followers on Twitter, 5 million followers on Tiktok, and 8 million followers on Instagram, where he regularly posts content.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Gennady Vaynerchuk |
Popular Name: | GaryVee |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Date: | November 14, 1975 |
Age: | 47 years |
Parents: | Sasha Vaynerchuk, Tamara Vaynerchuk |
Siblings: | AJ Vaynerchuk |
Birth Place: | Babruysk, Belarus |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | Belarusian-American |
Education: | Mount Ida College, Newton Massachusetts |
Marital Status: | Married |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | Lizzie Vaynerchuk |
Children: | Misha Ava Vaynerchuk, Xander Avi Vaynerchuk |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | $200 million |
Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur, Writing, Social Media, Wine Critic |
Height: | 5ft7 (1.70m) |
Weight: | 75kg (165lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
Gary Vaynerchuk was born in Babruysk, Belarus, to Sasha and Tamara Vaynerchuk. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 1978 when he was three. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Vaynerchuk briefly lived in New York City’s Queens borough and later moved to Edison, New Jersey.
At the tender age of 7, he already demonstrated an affinity for entrepreneurship when he started a lemonade stand. He later started selling baseball cards. When he graduated High School, he had already sold thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards to his classmates. He joined his family’s retail-wine business at 14, packing ice for $2/hr.
In 1993, he graduated from North Hunterdon High School. Subsequently, Vaynerchuk graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management science from Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1998.
While in college, Vaynerchuk recognized the opportunities that the internet might have for commerce, and upon gaining control of his father’s liquor store after college, he strove to transform its mode of operation and maximize its potential.
He rebranded the New Jersey-based store, changing its name from Shopper’s Discount Liquors to Wine Library. He launched sales online, becoming one of the earliest e-commerce platforms for liquor. By 2003, he had successfully grown the business from a yearly revenue of $3 million to $60 million.
In 2006, he started Wine Library TV, a daily webcast on YouTube covering wine reviews, tastings, and wine advice. The vlog’s incredible popularity led to his appearances on shows hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and Conan O’Brien. After 1000 episodes and five long years, Vaynerchuk retired the show. Afterward, he launched Wine & Web on Sirius XM satellite radio.
In 2011, he announced his intention to step away from the wine business to build VaynerMedia. Four years later, VaynerMedia was named one of Ad Age’s A-List agencies. VaynerMedia had 600 employees in 2016 and grossed $100 million in revenue. They also partner with Vimeo to connect brands and filmmakers for digital content.
Vaynerchuk is also the chairman of VaynerX, a communications company that holds media properties and technology companies, including Tracer, a media and creative agency.
Vaynerchuk founded The Gallery, later renamed Gallery Media Group, a subsidiary company of VaynerX that houses PureWow, acquired by Vaynerchuk and RSE Ventures, a male-oriented news outlet ONE37pm, and other media properties.
He created VaynerRSE, an investment fund. In 2014, he formed BRaVe Ventures along with David Beck and Jesse Redniss, a strategic advisory and investment firm. He has also made investments to start VaynerSports.
Vaynerchuk is the co-founder of the restaurant-reservation app, Resy, acquired by American Express in 2019. He also co-founded Empathy Wines, which Constellation Brands acquired in 2020. He is also the founder and artist behind VeeFriends, the non-fungible token series.
A keynote speech he made in New York City in 2008 landed him a $1 million book deal with HarperCollins. It led to publishing his first book, Crush It!, which became an international bestseller. He has released other best-selling books such as Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, #AskGaryVee, Crushing It!, and The Thank-You Economy.
GaryVee’s Net Worth
Vaynerchuk’s fortune comes from the successful expansion of his wine business alongside VaynerMedia. He has made various profitable investments and has also founded many other businesses.
Part of his wealth results from his books that have become international bestsellers. He also earns a significant amount from various appearances as a public speaker.
Considering the above, it’s not surprising that Vaynerchuk’s net worth stands at a staggering $200 million.
Lessons from the Life of GaryVee
Work Hard and Efficiently
“Learn the work ethic and the skills that match your ambition.” ~ Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk has spoken about tailoring your work ethics to fit your abilities. While working hard is indeed praiseworthy, if your actions follow the lifestyle of others when it differs from yours, you might not get the effect you desire.
Vaynerchuk is an example of the best sides of hard work and efficiency. Despite being involved in various ventures, he has managed to succeed by working in a way that he would benefit from.
Be an Informed Risk Taker
One might say Vaynerchuk’s success also results from his ability to take risks. Not only does he have discernment, but he is also well informed about any industry he invests in. Regardless of people’s skepticism, he educates himself and analyzes the market accordingly.