![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-113809547-e1757689293178.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mike Repole, the billionaire entrepreneur who cofounded and sold beverage giants Glaceau and BodyArmor to Coca-Cola for a combined $9.7 billion, has an unexpected message for aspiring business owners: Don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n
In an interview with the School of Hard Knocks, a popular social-media channel known for interviewing wealthy entrepreneurs, Repole shared his contrarian view on entrepreneurship, emphasizing the brutal realities that most success stories gloss over. <\/p>\n
\u201cI spend more time talking people out of being an entrepreneur,\u201d Repole said. \u201cThe first five years for an entrepreneur, I call the survival years. Every single day, you could go bankrupt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Repole\u2019s cautionary advice carries significant weight given his impressive business track record. The 56-year-old Queens, N.Y., native first made his fortune when he cofounded Glaceau with J. Darius Bikoff in 1999. The company, which produced Smartwater and Vitaminwater, grew from $1 million in first-year sales to over $1 billion in revenue by 2007, when Coca-Cola acquired it for $4.1 billion.<\/p>\n
Following that success, Repole cofounded BodyArmor, a sports drink company, in 2011. It gained significant attention a few years later in 2014, when NBA legend Kobe Bryant invested $5 million for a 10% stake, becoming the brand\u2019s creative director. In November 2021, Coca-Cola purchased the remaining 85% of BodyArmor for $5.6 billion, making it the beverage giant\u2019s largest-ever brand acquisition.<\/p>\n
Forbes<\/em> currently estimates Repole\u2019s net worth is $1.6 billion, largely stemming from these two successful exits. Between the ventures, he also served as chairman of snack company Pirate\u2019s Booty, helping grow the brand by 300% before it sold to B&G Foods for $195 million in 2013.<\/p>\n Despite his multibillion-dollar track record, Repole emphasized in the interview that entrepreneurial success is far from guaranteed. \u201cThere were days that I didn\u2019t think we could make it,\u201d he said, adding that he \u201cfailed\u201d multiple times throughout his journey.<\/p>\n The billionaire\u2019s advice reflects a growing trend among successful entrepreneurs who are increasingly candid about the challenges of building businesses. Unlike the typical success narratives that dominate social media, Repole\u2019s message acknowledges the statistical reality that most startups\u2014over two-thirds of them\u2014fail, and that even successful entrepreneurs face constant uncertainty.<\/p>\n True to form for successful entrepreneurs, Repole embraces what others might see as character flaws. When asked if he\u2019s \u201ca little crazy\u201d like other billionaires, Repole responded: \u201cI started crazy,\u201d adding, \u201cCrazy people change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n You can watch the interview with Repole below:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A version of this story was published at\u00a0Fortune.com on Sept. 12, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\nBetting on yourself vs. playing it safe<\/h3>\n
\n
More on entrepreneurialism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit <\/strong>May 19\u201320, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here\u2014and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world\u2019s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n