Tony Robbins

Anthony Jay Robbins (born Anthony J. Mahavorić, February 29, 1960) is an American author, coach and motivational speaker. He is known for his seminars and self-help books, including the books Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within (1991).

He has also appeared in television shows, owns wellness companies, and has done philanthropy.

Early life and education Robbins was born Anthony J. Mahavorić in North Hollywood, California, on February 29, 1960. He was the eldest of three children and his parents divorced when Robbins was seven. His mother remarried several times, including a marriage with Jim Robbins, a former semi-professional baseball player who legally adopted Anthony when he was 12.

Robbins attended Glendora High School. During high school, he grew in one year, a growth spurt later attributed to a pituitary tumor. He eventually learned neuro-linguistic programming, and began to teach self-improvement seminars himself. He subsequently learned to firewalk and incorporated it into his seminars. In May 1995, Robbins Research International (RRI) settled with the Federal Trade Commission over alleged violations of the agency's Franchise Rule. Under the settlement, RRI did not admit to having violated any law, but agreed to pay $221,260 in consumer redress. In 2000, Wade Cook sued Robbins for allegedly using copyrighted terms from Cook's book Wall Street Money Machine in his seminars. A jury awarded Cook a $655,900 judgment, which was appealed. Cook and Robbins settled for an undisclosed amount.

In July 2012, the San Jose Mercury News published a story reporting that several people had been burned and hospitalized during one of Robbins's fire-walking events on July 19, 2012. This story was picked up by other media outlets, including Fox News, The New York Times, and CNN. Aspects of these reports were later challenged by Robbins himself along with some of the on-site medical professionals. On June 24, 2016, it was reported that "dozens were burned and required medical attention after attempting to walk on hot coals during a fire-walking event at a Tony Robbins seminar in Dallas, Texas". A spokeswoman for the Robbins organization stated, "Someone unfamiliar with the process of the fire-walk called 911 reporting the need for emergency service vehicles ... there was no need for emergency personnel ... only 5 of 7,000 participants requested an examination beyond what was readily available on site." Robbins has worked on an individual basis with Bill Clinton, Justin Tuck, Hugh Jackman, and Pitbull. He has counseled businessmen Peter Guber, Steve Wynn, and Marc Benioff. NBC canceled the show after airing two of the planned six episodes due to low viewership of 2.8 million. In March 2012, the OWN Network picked up the show for another season beginning with the original first season set to re-run and thereafter leading directly into the new 2012 season. In April 2012, Robbins began co-hosting Oprah's Lifeclass on the OWN Network.

Robbins' 2014 event "Date with Destiny" in Boca Raton, Florida was the basis for the documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru, directed and produced by Joe Berlinger. It premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in March 2016 and was released by Netflix on July 15, 2016.

Sports ownership In 2014, Robbins joined a group of investors to acquire rights to launch a Major League Soccer franchise in Los Angeles referred to as the Los Angeles Football Club. The team entered competition in 2018. In 2016, Robbins partnered with Golden State Warriors co-owner Peter Guber and Washington Wizards co-owner Ted Leonsis to purchase Team Liquid, an eSports professional gaming organization.

Hotel and wellness companies In 2024, Robbins worked with Sam Nazarian to open a hotel brand called The Estate. The hotel is partnered with Robbins' diagnostic firm Fountain Life which does luxury medical testing. The initial locations of the hotel are in 13 locations across the U.S. with the first location opening in Los Angeles.

Philanthropy In 1991, Robbins founded the Anthony Robbins Foundation, to help young people, homeless people, hungry people, elderly people, and imprisoned people. In 2014, he donated the profits of his book, Money: Master the Game, along with an additional personal donation, through Feeding America to provide meals to people in need. Robbins helped raise money for Operation Underground Railroad.

Personal life Robbins' first child was with girlfriend Liz Acosta. Their son, Jairek Robbins, born in 1984, is also a personal empowerment coach and trainer. In 1984, Robbins married Rebecca Jenkins after meeting her at a seminar. Jenkins had three children, from two former marriages, whom Robbins adopted. Robbins and Jenkins filed for divorce in 1998. They live in Manalapan, Florida, and had a daughter in 2021.

Robbins was a vegan for 12 years; he then reportedly added fish to his diet. While eating a fish-heavy diet, he developed mercury poisoning and nearly died. His diet now consists of mostly vegetables with a small amount of animal protein. Robbins' net worth is estimated to be around $600 million. Robbins is tall.

Legal issues In May 2019, an investigation by BuzzFeed News detailed accusations against Robbins of the sexual harassment and assault of fans and staff members, such as groping fans at events and exposing his genitals to his assistants. Robbins denied the allegations and said, "I have been the target of a year-long investigation by BuzzFeed. Unfortunately, your organization has made it clear to my team that you intend to move forward with publishing an inaccurate, agenda-driven version of the past, pierced with falsehoods." In November 2019, BuzzFeed News published a six-part article accusing Robbins of molesting a teenage girl during his time as a "star speaker" at SuperCamp, an elite summer camp in southern California. The article states that the events took place in 1985 when Robbins was 25, and that there were at least two eyewitnesses. Robbins denied wrongdoing and sued BuzzFeed News in Ireland. In response, BuzzFeed News said that it stood by its reporting and suggested that Robbins's decision to file the summons in Ireland was an "abuse" of the Irish court. Robbins's lawyers filed a notice of discontinuance in 2025.

Select bibliography Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement (1986). Free Press. . Awaken the Giant Within (1991). Simon & Schuster. . Giant Steps (1994). Touchstone. . Money: Master the Game (2014). Simon & Schuster. . Co-authored with Peter Mallouk (2017). Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook. Simon & Schuster. . Co-authored with Peter Mallouk (2020). The Path: Accelerating Your Journey to Financial Freedom. Post Hill Press. . Co-authored with Peter Diamandis and Robert Hariri (2022). Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love. Simon & Schuster. .