Hair care, tequila millionaire bankrolls tech firm
LAS VEGAS--John Paul DeJoria made his first million launching the beauty salon favorite Paul Mitchell brand of hair care products and followed that up with the high-end Patron tequila. Now, DeJoria is bankrolling a tech company.
DeJoria said he has invested "eight digits" in the past three years in UK-based ROK Corp., a maker of technology that allows people to watch movies and TV shows and get other content on their mobile devices.
At an intimate party Friday night in a penthouse suite in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, where the Consumer Electronics Show was being held, he spoke of his passion for his latest venture.
"This company has the potential to be bigger than Paul Mitchell or Patron in a few years," the pony-tailed DeJoria said in a brief speech to a group munching on shrimp and sipping on Patron margaritas.
"I believe in the technology," he said in a short interview later. "My 8-year-old son works on a small play station...Streaming or movies on mobile is the future. Small clips on mobile phones is really cool."
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 
