Đelić was born in Belgrade in 1965, an only child. His parents divorced soon after his birth and went abroad in search of better prospects, while he stayed behind in Belgrade where he was raised by his maternal grandparents. He later described his grandmother Mileva as the strongest figure in his childhood. When his grandparents died in 1973, he moved to Paris to live with his mother and stepfather in Paris. When her small business collapsed, Božidar helped earn his way by washing dishes and cleaning windows, while studying at the same time.