Daymond John

In 1994, Daymond John and his FUBU partners returned from a Las Vegas apparel trade show with roughly $300,000 in retailer orders. Buyers wanted the clothing, but the young company needed to pay for manufacturing before it could collect from retailers. Orders on paper were not cash in hand.

John and his mother put their home behind the venture through a six-figure mortgage. Rooms became spaces for cutting fabric, sewing, storing materials, handling orders, and shipping clothes. FUBU was finding an audience through hip-hop culture while its founders struggled to finance the clothing that audience wanted.

FUBU grew into a major fashion label, then lost much of its prominence in the United States. John later joined the original investor panel on Shark Tank, taking his experience as a clothing founder to a new public role.

A Quick Look at the Life of Daymond John

Growing Up in Hollis and Learning Through Work

Daymond Garfield John was born in Brooklyn on February 23, 1969, and grew up in Hollis, Queens. His mother, Margot, raised him in a single-parent household and worked as a flight attendant, sometimes holding additional jobs. Hollis was also closely associated with the development of New York hip-hop, a culture that would later matter to the clothing business John helped create.

He began selling things at a young age. John has recalled selling pencils to classmates, distributing flyers, and taking on other small jobs. His later work included a van service, an early example of earning money by identifying and serving local customers.

School presented a different set of challenges. At Bayside High School, John took part in a cooperative program that alternated periods of classroom study and employment. He recalled gaining exposure to professional business settings through work at First Boston. He also described being stronger in math and science than in reading and spelling and later identifying dyslexia as part of his learning experience.

In discussing those difficulties, John offered a practical description of how he approached them: “You highlight it, address it, and then find out how to work around it.” His account does not turn his school experience into a single explanation for his career, but it does show how he understood his own methods of learning and working.

From Handmade Hats to a Four-Founder Clothing Business

Before FUBU became a label on store shelves, John made and sold tie-top wool hats on the streets of Queens. His mother taught him sewing skills. He has described making an alternative to hats selling for about $20 and offering his own for roughly $10. John has also described an early selling day that brought in approximately $800.

The products moved beyond hats into screen-printed T-shirts, jerseys, and other clothing. In 1992, John established FUBU with three partners: Carlton Brown, also called Carl Brown, J. Alexander Martin, and Keith Perrin. The name stood for “For Us, By Us.” Their work drew on a hip-hop audience whose tastes were not, in the founders’ view, adequately represented by many established fashion companies.

That audience was defined by culture, not by a restriction on who could buy or wear the clothes. John described FUBU as speaking to people connected with hip-hop, while Perrin emphasized the founding group’s interest in making a company rooted in their community. FUBU was part of an existing hip-hop fashion movement, not the first clothing company to engage with it.

John continued to hold regular employment, including work as a Red Lobster waiter, while he and his partners developed FUBU.

Big Retail Orders and a Production-Cash Shortage

The partners’ appearance at the MAGIC apparel trade show in Las Vegas in 1994 brought roughly $300,000 in orders. Retail interest was a breakthrough, but FUBU needed to pay for fabric, labor, and production before the retailers paid for the finished garments. Having demand on paper was different from having cash to manufacture the clothes.

John has recalled approaching numerous banks without obtaining the financing the partners sought and advertising for help through a New York Times classified notice. He and his mother also used the family home to back six-figure financing. Within the house, rooms took on separate roles for fabric, cutting, sewing, office work, and shipping, leaving limited residential space.

Even with orders coming in, the company faced long delays between paying for materials and receiving payment from retailers. John later acknowledged that he and his partners were still learning to manage the finances and operations of a growing clothing business.

A manufacturing and distribution arrangement with Samsung’s textile operation helped FUBU finance larger-scale production and reach wider markets. It provided capabilities the founders’ original home-based operation could not supply alone.

Putting FUBU in Hip-Hop’s Public Eye

With little money for conventional advertising, the FUBU founders found a different way to put their clothes in front of customers. John recalled lending the same small collection of shirts and jerseys to performers at music-video shoots, then collecting the garments afterward. He estimated that they appeared in around 30 videos over roughly two years.

Those appearances gave FUBU exposure through hip-hop artists. The most prominent involved LL Cool J, who appeared in a 1997 Gap commercial wearing a FUBU-branded hat and alluding to the label’s slogan. The ad helped make FUBU more visible, although it was not an established formal sponsorship between Gap and FUBU.

By the late 1990s, FUBU’s expansion was substantial. Its annual sales at the height of that period have been widely reported at around $350 million. A company that began with handmade hats and home sewing had become an internationally visible fashion business.

When Rapid Growth Turned Into Excess Inventory

Large sales did not remove the risks of running the clothing operation. As FUBU expanded, the company ordered more merchandise than consumer demand ultimately justified. Excess stock had to be discounted, and the brand’s presence in the United States weakened in the early 2000s. Oversaturation and counterfeit products also affected its domestic position.

The founders increasingly emphasized international markets and licensing, where the brand still had business. A fading presence in American stores did not mean that FUBU had gone out of business or that John had simply walked away from it.

One attempt to expand beyond clothing also proved costly. FUBU pursued a recorded-music project, including a 2001 hip-hop compilation album. John later described its high production costs and disappointing commercial return, saying, “I realized that there are no shortcuts.” The failed economics of the music effort were a separate setback from the clothing brand’s broader transition.

FUBU’s history therefore included two different challenges: at first, finding the capital to make goods that retailers wanted; later, managing how much merchandise to produce for a market that had changed.

Shark Tank Gives John a Different Public Role

John joined ABC’s Shark Tank at its 2009 launch. Appearing as one of the show’s original investors introduced him to viewers who, as he later observed, did not chiefly know him for FUBU.

On Shark Tank, entrepreneurs negotiated with potential investors on television. The terms seen on air did not necessarily become the terms of completed investment contracts.

One prominent business linked with John was Bombas, the sock company founded by David Heath and Randy Goldberg. During a 2014 Shark Tank appearance, its founders accepted an on-air offer of $200,000 for 17.5% equity. Heath later credited John with advising the business to concentrate on socks before expanding its product range.

Bombas went on to become a substantial retail success. By October 2023, its cumulative sales were reported at about $1.3 billion. That figure describes Bombas product sales, not John’s personal income or the value of his stake.

Books, Entrepreneurship Advocacy, and Family Life

John also developed a public career as a speaker, consultant, and author. His books include Display of Power (2007), The Brand Within (2010), The Power of Broke (2016), Rise and Grind (2018), and Powershift (2020). In 2023, he published the children’s book Little Daymond Learns to Earn, illustrated by Nicole Miles. The books reflect his continuing interest in brands, entrepreneurship, work, and financial education.

The Obama White House named John one of nine new Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship in May 2015. The role connected his business profile with public efforts to support entrepreneurship. He later discussed the importance of access to guidance and opportunities for emerging business owners.

In 2020, John created Black Entrepreneurs Day, an event featuring interviews, entertainment, and partnerships supporting grants for Black-owned small businesses. The organizers have reported more than $1 million in combined grant funding across the period described on their site. That money represents grant support through participating organizations and partners, not a personal donation total from John.

His public life has also included a health disclosure. In May 2017, John said that a thyroid examination the previous year had led to surgery and a stage-two thyroid cancer finding. He reported feeling well following the surgery and encouraged checkups. The disclosure concerns that period, not a verified current health condition.

John married Heather Taras in June 2018. Public reporting identifies a daughter they share and two older daughters from an earlier relationship.

A Dispute Following a Shark Tank Investment

John’s investing career also faced public criticism connected with Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs, a business associated with former NFL player Al “Bubba” Baker and his family. The company appeared on Shark Tank in the show’s fifth season. An on-air proposal involved $300,000 for a 30% stake, but the broadcast figures do not establish the terms of a finalized arrangement.

In 2023, members of the Baker family alleged that later business arrangements had deprived them of expected profits and given others excessive control. They said the terms under discussion after the television appearance differed from the on-air proposal. John disputed wrongdoing and said his involvement had cost him money. Those competing claims must be distinguished from findings made by a court.

In July 2023, a federal judge in New Jersey granted John and affiliated plaintiffs a permanent injunction enforcing non-disparagement terms from a 2019 settlement. The ruling addressed breaches of those restrictions and included findings concerning the parties’ conduct under the agreements. It did not amount to a separate, comprehensive judicial resolution of every commercial accusation previously aired by the family.

FUBU Returns to View, and John’s Work Continues

Although John gained a wider audience through investing, FUBU remained active. Its founders and collaborators pursued new opportunities for the brand, including a 2018 runway collaboration with Pyer Moss and a 2019 retail effort connected with Century 21. The work drew on renewed interest in earlier streetwear styles while taking a more cautious approach to inventory.

In October 2024, FUBU returned to a prominent runway setting at Atlanta Fashion Week. Co-founders Brown and Martin were present, while John and Perrin did not attend because of scheduling conflicts. The presentation belonged to the continuing work of the brand and its collaborators; it was not an event John personally staged on the runway.

As of October 2026, John remained associated with FUBU and The Shark Group, and ABC included him in the Shark Tank lineup for its 2026–27 season. In an April 2026 account, he also described work involving the coworking venture Blueprint + Co. These activities show a career still spanning fashion, investing, business services, and entrepreneurial education.

FUBU remains central to Daymond John’s career: a four-founder clothing venture that grew beyond Queens, faced costly production and inventory problems, and found renewed activity after its U.S. decline. His later work in television investing, consulting, and entrepreneurship education widened his public role without making FUBU a closed chapter.

Timeline

These milestones trace John’s development from Queens entrepreneur to fashion founder and television investor.

February 23, 1969

Daymond John is born in Brooklyn, New York.

School years

Raised in Hollis, Queens, John attends Bayside High School and participates in a cooperative school-and-work program that includes work at First Boston.

1992

John, Carlton Brown, J. Alexander Martin, and Keith Perrin establish FUBU, short for “For Us, By Us.”

1994

FUBU receives roughly $300,000 in retailer orders at the MAGIC trade show, intensifying the company’s need for production financing.

Mid-1990s

John and his mother use the home to support six-figure business financing. A Samsung textile manufacturing and distribution relationship helps FUBU scale.

1997–1998

LL Cool J wears FUBU-branded headwear in a 1997 Gap commercial. FUBU’s annual sales at its late-1990s peak are widely reported at around $350 million.

Early 2000s

FUBU confronts excess inventory and reduced U.S. prominence while maintaining international activity. A 2001 recorded-music project also produces disappointing results.

2007–2010

John publishes Display of Power (2007) and The Brand Within (2010). He joins the first season of Shark Tank in 2009.

2014–2015

Bombas accepts an on-air investment offer involving John in 2014. The Obama White House names him a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship in May 2015.

2016–2018

John publishes The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018), publicly discusses his earlier thyroid cancer in 2017, and marries Heather Taras in 2018.

2018–2020

FUBU participates in a Pyer Moss collaboration in 2018 and a Century 21-linked retail return in 2019. John publishes Powershift and starts Black Entrepreneurs Day in 2020.

2023

John publishes Little Daymond Learns to Earn. In July, a federal court grants an injunction related to non-disparagement terms in the Bubba’s Q dispute.

October 2024

FUBU presents at Atlanta Fashion Week, with co-founders Brown and Martin in attendance.

2026

John describes current work with FUBU, The Shark Group, and Blueprint + Co.; ABC includes him in the Shark Tank season-18 lineup as of October.

FAQs

Question: What does FUBU stand for, and who was its clothing intended for?

Answer: FUBU stands for “For Us, By Us.” Daymond John and his partners created a label connected with the hip-hop cultural community. John described the idea in cultural rather than racially exclusive terms; wearing the clothes was not restricted to a particular race.

Question: Was Daymond John the only founder of FUBU?

Answer: No. FUBU’s founding team comprised Daymond John, Carlton (Carl) Brown, J. Alexander Martin, and Keith Perrin. John’s mother also helped with sewing and home-backed financing, but she is not listed as one of the four co-founders.

Question: Why did FUBU struggle financially when retailers were ordering its clothing?

Answer: Retailer orders did not immediately supply the money needed to buy materials and manufacture clothing. After FUBU secured roughly $300,000 in orders at a 1994 trade show, the company needed financing to fill them and had to manage delays before payment arrived.

Question: Did FUBU shut down when its popularity declined?

Answer: No. The label lost much of its U.S. prominence in the early 2000s, but the founders continued international and licensing activity. Subsequent efforts included a 2018 Pyer Moss collaboration and a 2024 Atlanta Fashion Week presentation.

Question: What role did Daymond John play in Bombas?

Answer: Bombas accepted a televised Shark Tank offer involving John in 2014: $200,000 for 17.5% equity. Co-founder David Heath later credited John with advice to focus first on socks. The company’s later sales totals measure Bombas’s business, not John’s personal earnings.

Question: Did the 2023 Bubba’s Q court order settle every accusation about the investment?

Answer: No. The 2023 federal injunction enforced non-disparagement restrictions from a 2019 settlement and included specific findings about compliance and reputational harm. The Baker family’s commercial allegations were contested by John; the injunction was not a comprehensive merits judgment resolving every historical business complaint.

Interviews

How FUBU Began and Found the Money to Grow

In this 2014 Washington Post interview, John describes handmade hats, the founding-era clothing operation, and the difficulty of financing orders. His account explains why the family home became part of the business and why strong customer demand created a working-capital challenge. It is especially useful for understanding the early FUBU years in his own words.

View the interview

Daymond John on School, Dyslexia, and Learning

The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity profile records John’s experience with reading and spelling difficulties, his work-study education, and the approaches he developed for learning. It offers a firsthand view of a formative part of his life that receives less attention than FUBU or Shark Tank.

Read the interview and profile

Keith Perrin on the Original FUBU Team and Its Return

In this 2019 Nylon interview, FUBU co-founder Keith Perrin explains the cultural purpose of the label and how the founders saw their place in hip-hop fashion. He also discusses its international activity and later efforts to return to U.S. retail. The conversation adds a co-founder’s perspective alongside John’s account.

View the interview

Daymond John in PBS’s Inspired Lives

This 2024 PBS interview and biographical program covers John’s early life and FUBU’s growth. Its accompanying transcript lets readers follow the conversation even where the streaming video is unavailable.

View the program and transcript

A Look at John’s Working Life in 2026

In this April 2026 first-person Business Insider account, John describes his work schedule and ongoing involvement with ventures including FUBU and Blueprint + Co. The piece offers a more recent view of how he divided his time across businesses, rather than focusing only on his early success. Its descriptions of daily routines are John’s own report.

Read the firsthand account

Further Reading

• Display of Power — John’s early business memoir
• The Brand Within — John’s book on brands and their relationship with consumers

Sources

• PBS / Inspired Lives: Daymond John and Dionne Warwick: Interview and Transcript
• Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity: Daymond John, Entrepreneur
• The Washington Post: When We Were Small: FUBU, Can Gen Z Make FUBU Cool Again?
• Inc.: How Daymond John of Shark Tank Earned His Fins
• Encyclopedia.com: Daymond John Biographical Reference
• Nylon: The Second Coming of FUBU
• ABC: Daymond John: Shark Biography, About Shark Tank: Season 18
• Business Insider: Daymond John: A Day in My Life
• Fortune: How the Bombas Founders Built a Best-Selling Shark Tank Product
• Los Angeles Times: Bubba’s Q Founders Discuss Their Shark Tank Experience, Daymond John Granted Injunction in Bubba’s Q Dispute
• ABC News: Daymond John Discusses Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis, Daymond John on the Power of Broke, His Mother, and LL Cool J
• People: Heather Taras and Daymond John’s Family
• Black Entrepreneurs Day: About the Event and Entrepreneur Grants
• Obama White House Archives: New Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, 2015, John’s 2016 Message on Entrepreneurial Opportunity
• Penguin Random House: The Power of Broke, Rise and Grind, Powershift, Little Daymond Learns to Earn
• DaymondJohn.com: Unraveling the Story of FUBU, Autographed Book Bundle: Early Books