What is Rohan Oza's Net Worth?
Rohan Oza is an American businessman, investor, and marketing expert who has a net worth of $400 million. During his career, Rohan Oza has spearheaded successful marketing campaigns for a number of major food and beverage companies, including Mars, Coca-Cola, and Glacéau. Oza became more widely known to the public in 2017 when he began serving as a guest investor on the ABC business reality television show "Shark Tank."
Frequently referred to as "the brandfather", Rohan Oza has a golden touch when it comes to high-profile celebrity-backed marketing deals. He got his first big success with the Sprite and Powerade brands while working at Coca-Cola in the early 2000s. Oza was very early to recognize the marketing power of the hip-hop world and youth culture. He started a campaign where he supplied unlimited Sprite to various DJs. He even organized a Sprite DJ summit where Coca-Cola was able to tap into the minds of some of the most influential people in hip-hop to make their brand more appealing to the urban demographic. Based on the feedback he received at this summit, Oza crafted an ad campaign that featured five linked commercials that told a connected story using Japanese animation and imagery from hip hop pioneers such as Afrika Bambaataa. The commercials were a smash hit. The final commercial aired during the Billboard Music Awards. Within a year, Sprite's sales had skyrocketed. Rohan was soon put in charge of Powerade and created similar success.
In 2001, Rohan left Coca-Cola to take over the marketing of a new drink called Vitamin Water. It was Oza's idea to hire 50 Cent to appear in the brand's early campaigns that put Vitamin Water on the map. In 2007, Oza's former company Coca-Cola, acquired Vitamin Water or $4.2 billion. In 2016, Oza brought Justin Timberlake on as an investor and endorser of the antioxidant drink Bai. The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group bought Bai Brands for $1.7 billion. Related article: How Much Did 50 Cent Make Off Vitamin Water?
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Early Life and Education
Rohan Oza was born on October 2, 1971 in Livingstone, Zambia into an ethnic Indian family. As a youth, he attended Harrow School in Greater London, England. Oza went on to attend Nottingham University, where he studied manufacturing and industrial engineering. After that, he changed his area of focus and studied marketing and corporate strategy at the University of Michigan, from which he earned his MBA.
Career Beginnings
Before coming to the US to study for his MBA, Oza started his career in manufacturing, working at an M&Ms factory in the British industrial town of Slough.
Marketing Career
Oza got his professional start in marketing by advertising Mars' Snickers in Europe. Later, he became a marketing executive for the Coca-Cola Company, where he helped revitalize the Sprite brand by signing basketball star Kobe Bryant as a spokesperson. Oza also helped boost the profile of Powerade, another Coca-Cola brand. The success of these and other brands was largely due to the myriad celebrity endorsements Oza was able to land, including with Tom Brady, Jennifer Aniston, Rihanna, Madonna, 50 Cent, and LeBron James. In 2002, Oza left the Coca-Cola Company to join another beverage company, Glacéau, best known for its brand of vitamin water. The company was later purchased by Coca-Cola for $4.2 billion in 2007. Oza was subsequently appointed chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola's non-carbonated brands, a position he held until 2009.
Investments
Among his notable investments, Oza made an early bet with Justin Timberlake on the beverage company Bai Brands, which he helped persuade Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to purchase for $1.7 billion. Oza has also invested in such brands as Smartwater, Bulletproof Coffee, and Health-Ade Kombucha.
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Shark Tank
In 2017, Oza began appearing as a guest investor, or "shark," on the ABC business reality television series "Shark Tank," then in its ninth season. He appeared alongside the regular sharks Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, and Lori Greiner. Oza served as a guest shark on the show for three seasons, leaving in 2020.
Other Work
Beyond his marketing and investing endeavors, Oza serves as an advisor to Impact Network, a nonprofit that works to bring quality education to people in rural Zambia.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Oza divides his time between Beverly Hills, California and the Hamptons in New York. He is known to throw many lavish parties with Western and Bollywood-style dance-offs. Oza also enjoys bowling in his spare time.
In 2009, Rohan paid $5.5 million for a 6,000-square-foot home in Bridgehampton, New York. He sold this home in 2018 for $8.25 million. In 2010, Rohan paid $12.5 million for his Beverly Hills mansion. He has offered this home at various points for rent for $70-$100,000 per month and in September 2024 he sold the home for $21 million.
