Co-founder of Vice magazine, Suroosh Alvi, has led a very interesting life that should inspire anyone who has experienced some missteps and poor decisions. Suroosh is the ideal example of the fact that it is never too late to turn your life around. The media and entertainment mogul and taken the lemons in his life and made the sweetest lemonade imaginable. The Pakistani Canadian filmmaker and journalist currently have a youth brand that spans at least 34 countries, and his reach is constantly expanding. While some of you are aware of Suroosh, there are some things that you likely are not aware of, so here are five facts that should help you familiarize yourself with his remarkable story.
1. He Has Mastered Many Aspects of Media
It common to see people who thrive in the world of media, but in most instances, they thrive in a particular market or genre. You have investigative journalists, filmmakers, music producers and distributors and more, but it appears that Suroosh has the ability to massively impact all of these areas with an unbelievable level of confidence and expertise. He has hosted documentaries on a number of controversial issues, chronicles movements that are revolutionizing the world and introduced subcultures that completely change worldviews.
2. Both Parents are Academics
Suroosh is of Pakistani descent, being born in Toronto to Muslim parents from Pakistan. Both of his parents have backgrounds in the world of academia, with his mother, Sajida Alvi focusing her studies in Mughal history and Islamic Studies. She is now a professor emeritus at McGill Univesity. His father, Sabir Alvi, is also a professor emeritus of psychological studies at the University of Toronto. Suroosh showed an interest in academia, studying philosophy at McGill University.
3. Building an Empire
It was in 1994 that Suroosh joined forces with Gavin McInnes and Shane Smith to launch VICE magazine. Since the initial launch of VICE, the brand has morphed and evolved to include an online brand, The Creators Project, Fight Land, Mother Board and Noisey, just to name a few. There seems to be a neverending cascade of new projects that achieve inevitable success. At current, VICE produces in excess of 60 original video series that cover everything from music to travel and beyond.
4. Suroosh is a Recovering Addict
While it can be easy for some to be judgmental when learning about the fact that the Vice co-founder struggled with chemical dependency, the truth is that life happens, or more accurately, life responds to our decisions, effectively delivering the corresponding rewards or consequences of those decisions. What people should focus on is the fact that Suroosh was able to regain his footing and recover from the disease of addiction to live an unbelievably successful life. His life is a living testimony of the fact that you are never out of the fight.
5. He Keeps is Personal Life Separate
There is no shortage of people who have achieved celebrity status in the media who absolutely enjoy being in the spotlight, but while Suroosh does not seem to shy away from the spotlight it does appear that he places great emphasis on keeping his personal life separate from his celebrity and business dealings. While he has mentioned the fact that he is married and that he has a son named Reza, there is not much more information on his personal affairs and it appears that is the way the mogul plans to keep it.
Follow Us
