shark tank net worth
Shark Tank has been my favorite show for years. The show’s premise is to pitch your idea and get the help of the sharks to join the big leagues. Entrepreneurs join it in hopes of getting the investment they need to make their businesses take off. I enjoy it because it reminds me that there are a million ways to make a million dollars. And ideas are endless. But let’s talk about the net worth of the sharks in the tank.
So which shark is the wealthiest? By far, it’s Mark Cuban who has an astounding net worth of $4.2 billion. Next is Kevin O’Leary, who is worth $500 million. Then Kevin Harrington’s net worth is $450 million.
Check the quick overview below to see the estimated net worth of each shark who has appeared on this legendary show:
1. Mark Cuban – $4.2 billion
2. Kevin O’Leary – $500 million
3. Kevin Harrington – $450 million
4. Daymond John – $300 million
5. Robert Herjavec – $200 million
6. Barbara Corcoran – $90 million
7. Lori Greiner – $80 million
As you can see, our sharks are incredibly wealthy! Read on to find out each shark’s back story, how they made their millions, and a couple of interesting facts.
Why Shark Tank Is So Enjoyable To Watch
Reality shows are all the rage now, but Shark Tank is especially fun to watch because regular people like you and me get on it. Contestants have to pitch their product or idea to the sharks to get financial backing.
Shark Tank puts a lot of pressure on the contestants. So much that they see a psychiatrist after their appearance to check their mental state. The UK and Canada have their own version of Shark Tank called Dragons Den, which honestly is not as enjoyable to watch.
Shark Tank is a fun resource for those looking to set up their own business or manufacture their own products. It helps them understand what it takes to make it in their industries. You can learn a thing or two from the sharks and apply what you’ve learned to fuel your entrepreneurial drive.
Quick Facts About Shark Tank
- Shark Tank is currently in its 12th season. The show first aired back in 2009.
- Episodes show on Friday nights.
- For each season, the show receives over 100,000 applications from aspiring business owners.
- Shark Tank features new exciting brands on the show as references.
- Most deals made on the show don’t actually go through.
- Contestants pitch for up to an hour.
About Mark Cuban
Mark was born on July 31, 1958, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’s married to Tiffany Stewart. He is of Russian descent, and his first business was Micro Solutions.
Cuban was born to wealthy immigrant parents, and he showed an interest in business very early on in life. At 12, he started selling garbage bags to his neighbors to save up for an expensive pair of basketball shoes he’s been eyeing.
Cuban graduated from the Kelly School of Business in Indiana with a degree in management. He first worked for a company named Your Business Software and was fired a year later. It only goes to show how powerful it is to apply what you’ve learned, be assertive, and start a business yourself.
How Mark Cuban Made His Money
When he got fired, Cuban started his own business called Micro Solutions, where he took on clients from his past job. His company’s agenda was to sell software packages. Micro Solutions went on to become highly successful, and Cuban sold it for $6 million.
Then he got the idea to capitalize on the internet. He and his college friend put up broadcast.com, where you could watch Victoria’s Secret first-ever Livestream event. This enterprise sold for $5.7 billion in Yahoo stock.
Now that he had serious money, he went on to buy the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 for a whopping $25 million. Since then, he has created multiple successful businesses, and he started appearing on the show in its second season as a full-time shark.
Related Reading: Books on The Law of Attraction
Mark Cuban’s Investments On Shark Tank
As I mentioned above, Cuban has been on Shark Tank since its second season. He has made close to a hundred deals on the show, investing almost $25 million. He invested $2 million on Ten Thirty-One Productions, over $1 million on Rugged Maniac Obstacle Course, and over $1 on Beatbox Beverages.
Mark Cuban Net Worth
$4.2 billion
About Kevin O’Leary
Kevin was born on July 6, 1954. He’s married to Linda O’Leary. Also known as “Mr. Wonderful,” his first business was Softkey Learning.
O’Leary is of Irish descent and was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. His dad, who was a salesman, died when he was young. His mom went on to remarry his stepdad, who worked for the United Nations.
Because of his stepdad’s job, O’Leary spent a lot of time in the US, Tunisia, Cyprus, and Cambodia. He attended the University of Waterloo, where he obtained a degree in Environmental Studies. He went on to Wester University in 1980 to get his MBA.
As he studied for his MBA in entrepreneurship, he did an internship where he learned most of his marketing skills.
How Kevin O’Leary Made His Money
O’Leary had a brief stint as a TV producer, and he later sold his stake in special entertainment television for $25,000. He made this deal with one of his partners Softkey Learning. In 1999, Mattel bought Softkey for $2.5 billion. The company was at its height, and this was before it started making significant losses.
O’Leary is not exempt from financial troubles. Many of his shareholders filed lawsuits against him, but he managed to win with most of his wealth intact.
He proceeded to make most of his money on an investment firm called O’Leary Holdings. Eventually, he sold the company in 2015.
Kevin O’Leary’s Investments On Shark Tank
Kevin first appeared on Dragons Den, Shark Tank’s Canadian counterpart. He’s known for being blunt for not sugarcoating things for contestants, which is how he earned the nickname “Mr. Wonderful.”
The investments he makes on Shark Tank are made through his own investment company. His most notable investment was in GrooveBook, which was sold after only 1 ½ years and got him a massive return.
Kevin O’Leary Net Worth
$500 million
About Kevin Harrington
Harrington was born on October 15, 1956, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew in a blue-collar household, which inspired him to strive for financial success. At a mere nine years old, he started selling newspapers for a modest income. At 15, he set up his first business in sealing driveways.
One of his mentors was Zig Ziglar, who encouraged him to take his entrepreneurial flair to the next level. By the time he went to college, he already founded a $1 million business.
How Kevin Harrington Made His Money
Harrington is dubbed the king of infomercials. He took advantage of the fact that nothing aired after primetime tv ended. Have you ever wondered who’s behind those late-night infomercials? It’s him. He’s also very passionate about helping others achieve financial success through businesses.
Kevin owns Thane International, Reliant International, Response TV, H&H Imports, Absolutely New, and The Kevin Harrington Business Development Inc.
Related Reading: Read About The Vanderbilt Family Fortune
Kevin Harrington’s Investments On Shark Tank
He was a pioneering shark on the show but left at the end of its second season. Many people seem to think that he might regret leaving the show because of its eventual success. He was on 18 episodes but managed to invest over $1 million among 13 deals, including A Perfect Pear, Element Bars, Caffeinicator, and Nubrella.
Kevin Harrington Net Worth
$450 million
About Daymond John
John was born on February 23, 1969 and raised in Queens. He is married to Heather Tara. He founded the famous apparel brand named FUBU.
As he was going to school, he alternated work weeks, which gave him his entrepreneurial spirit.
How Daymond John Made His Money
Born from humble beginnings, John was taught how to sew by his single mother. At a young age, he observed that hats were flying off the rack, so he decided to make some to sell. His products were sold for half the price of their more trendy counterparts.
He got a partner and ventured on to t-shirt prints. They would go to events around his neighborhood to sell their wares from the trunk of his car.
While he was working on his clothing business, he also worked at Red Lobster for the extra income. He was heavily influenced by his love of hip-hop. LL Cool J took notice of his stuff, and the rest is history.
FUBU is now an international brand that gets sales of over $6 billion. If you want to understand Daymond’s mindset, you can read his book, The Power Of Broke. According to him, when you’re broke is the best time to take risks because you have nothing to lose.
Daymond John’s Investments On Shark Tank
Daymond is an original shark and has invested almost $10 million among around 60 deals. His notable investments are TITIN, SpikeBall, One Sole, and Hells Bells Helmets.
Daymond John Net Worth
$300 million
About Robert Herjavec
Herjavec was born on September 14, 1962, in Croatia. He’s married to Kym Johnson. His family fled from Croatia, being a communist country, to Toronto, Canada. He was just eight years old. Robert’s father had a low-paying job at a factory.
Herjavec went on to study English Literature and Political Science at the University of Toronto. He studied all while working part-time jobs to support himself and his family.
How Robert Herjavec Made His Money
Herjavec is another shark who made big money on the internet. His first big job was at LogicQuest, where he wasn’t allowed to work unless it was for free. He quickly made his way up the corporate ladder and got fired. He then went on to start a company of his own.
His first personal venture was starting an internet security company named BRAK. He started BRAK in his basement and eventually sold the company to AT&T for $30 million.
Afterward, he launched the Herjavec Group, an online security seller, which has then earned him over $200 million in annual revenue.
Robert Herjavec’s Investments On Shark Tank
Herjavec was on Dragons Den for its first six seasons and eventually moved to Shark Tank when he was offered a position. He’s the kind of shark that’s quick to invest. He has invested over $18 million throughout his appearances.
Some of his notable investments are in Zero Pollution Motors, Tipsy Elves, SynDaver Labs, and The Red Dress Boutique.
Robert Herjavec Net Worth
$200 million
About Barbara Corcoran
Corcoran was born on March 10, 1949. She’s married to Bill Higgins. Corcoran is of Irish Catholic descent and is one of ten children. She was not the best student and flunked out of many high schools, but eventually graduated with a degree in education.
She worked a lot of jobs, mainly in real estate. She then went to create her own real estate business with her boyfriend at the time.
How Barbara Corcoran Made Her Money
Barbara started the Corcoran Group, which eventually sold for $66 million to NRT back in 2001. Her boyfriend cheated on her with her secretary, which inspired her to venture on her own.
Barbara Corcoran’s Investments On Shark Tank
Corcoran has invested over $6 million of her own money among 53 deals on Shark Tank. She is a conservative investor. Some of her notable investments are in Coverplay, Loliware, Shutterfly, and Tom And Chee.
Fun fact:
She is the 3rd shark to go on Dancing With The Stars.
Barbara Corcoran Net Worth
$90 million
About Lori Greiner
Lori was born on December 9, 1969. She’s married to Dan Greiner. She grew up in Chicago and studied communications at Loyola University. After she graduated, she decided to try her hand at designing and selling jewelry. Her business, Clever & Unique Creations, became a hit.
How Lori Greiner Made Her Money
Greiner’s first business venture was patenting an earring organizer, which eventually got picked up by JCPenney. Afterward, she started patenting tons of other fashion accessories, storage items, and travel items.
Also known as the “Queen of QVC,” she established a brand of her own called Clever & Unique Creations.
Lori Greiner’s Investments On Shark Tank
Greiner became a shark back in 2012. Since then, she has invested almost $10 million among 61 deals. Some of her notable investments are in Ruffle Butts And Rugged Butts, Biaggi, Angel Lift, and Better Life.
Lori Greiner Net Worth
$80 million
Final Thoughts
Shark Tank is more than just an entertaining reality show. It’s an excellent resource for some of us who want to improve our entrepreneurship. The shark’s net worths are testament to how initiative and determination play a part in financial success.
Some of the sharks were born into affluent families, and some were not. This tells us that it doesn’t matter what kind of background we were born into. All we need is inspiration, ambition, a thirst for knowledge, and maybe a bit of luck.
