Edmonton-raised tech maven's company sells for $250M, but he still drives a 2009 Accord

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLocal BusinessNewsLocal NewsNationalWorld Edmonton-raised tech maven's company sells for $250M, but he still drives a 2009 Accord 'I always had this drive that I'm going take care of my parents' Author of the article: By Steven Sandor Published Sep 21, 2026 Last updated 21 minutes ago 6 minute read Join the conversation Edmonton-raised Karia Samaroo was the CEO of WonderFi, which was recently sold for $250 million. Photo supplied PHOTO BY SUPPLIED Article content Karia Samaroo drives a 2009 Honda Accord. He said it’s got to the point where it’s a road hazard, but “I’m going to drive it till it dies.” Article content This is a man who has been in the company of some of North America’s most powerful businesspeople. He’s been a business partner with “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary of Dragons’ Den fame. And the crypto-exchange company which Samaroo founded, WonderFi, was recently acquired by tech giant Robinhood for $250 million CAD. Article content Article content Article content But, knowing Samaroo’s roots in west Edmonton, it might not be a surprise that he plans to hang onto that car as long as it runs. His parents came to Canada with three kids in 1989, with $100 to their name. His dad, Vernon, is from Guyana. His mom, Ezmina, is from Kenya. The pair met in London, and that’s where their children were born. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content They soon found a home in West Edmonton Village, and his dad would eventually find work at a local RadioShack. (For anyone under, say, 35, “RadioShack” was what Best Buy is to you today, except with things like cables and walkie-talkies and batteries and “mobile phones” the size of your head.) Vernon would get permission to bring computers home from work, and Karia was obsessed. He wanted to learn everything about them. Article content “He’s always had that love of technology, and so I remember the first time he brought a computer home,” recalled Samaroo. “Me and my brother would just go on it, and my dad would just let us let us use it, figure it out, and we would have it for a few days, and then he would return it. And then, a couple of days later, he’d come back with another one, and…