O’Leary, who has drawn controversy recently for his role as a spokesperson for the bankrupt cryptocurrency firm FTX and subsequent defense of its disgraced founder Sam Bankman-Fried, acknowledged in a phone call that entrepreneurs have to give up a lot on Shark Tank but argued that it is still more than worth it. “When we do deals on Shark Tank, these are based on oral pitches with people who present well on TV on their ‘first date’ who are only providing their word and no written documentation to their business and its state of play,” said John in an emailed response. John and Cuban both said many of their deals fell through because of new information they learned during the due diligence period after filming. The data collected by Forbes does not include the dozens of companies whose episodes do not air each season many of these entrepreneurs are offered deals, too, but it’s unclear how many of them actually close (Cuban and O’Leary said they sometimes will, while John said he does “vary rarely.”)Ĭuban, John and O’Leary were the only investors who responded to questions for this story. O’Leary (45%), cyber security entrepreneur Robert Herjavec (30%) and retail inventor and “Queen of QVC” Lori Greiner (29%) were the least likely to close their deals, according to Forbes’ research. Cuban said he likely closes even fewer deals than Forbes calculated and blamed entrepreneurs who “just came for the commercial,” which he said has become more common in recent seasons. Billionaire Mark Cuban, who closed 54% of the 37 deals we tracked, invested in more than double the number of companies as other investors. Though likely to close a deal, John, who made his millions through his apparel company FUBU, was also the most likely to change the terms – four of the five entrepreneurs who said they closed deals with John said the terms changed after filming. The odds varied quite a bit by shark, with real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran the most likely to close her handshake deals (60% of entrepreneurs we spoke to said the deals they made with her were finalized after filming), followed by Daymond John (56%). Max Feber, founder of Mark Cuban-backed BRUW “The Shark Tank process takes so long and it’s so high risk that it’s really not about raising money.” And at least 10 others said it was a “mutual decision” between them and their shark to drop the deal.īut most confessed it was either the shark’s decision to pull out – sometimes with no explanation – or theirs after the terms changed so significantly they felt they were unacceptable, and in some cases, even put their businesses at risk. A handful admitted that they went on the show for publicity and never really wanted to bring on a new investor. Several entrepreneurs said they were told to accept the deals or risk not being shown on television, a fact that billionaire investor Mark Cuban confirmed to Forbes. Pitches are filmed months and sometimes even more than a year in advance of when the episodes air. Still, Forbes was able to go deep inside the tank and get an unprecedented look at what really happens when taping finishes. Many of the entrepreneurs interviewed by Forbes asked for anonymity because of strict non-disclosure agreements they sign to get on the show that hold them personally liable if they discuss the details of their deals or even their experience on set. A similar 2016 survey that Forbes conducted found that about 73% of the deals in the first seven seasons either changed or fell through. (Forbes reached out to roughly 300 or so companies that got deals but only 112 responded). But an analysis of 112 businesses offered deals on seasons 8 through 13 of the show reveals that roughly half those deals never close and another 15% end up with different terms once the cameras are turned off. About two-thirds of the nearly 100 entrepreneurs who make it on air each season walk away with a handshake deal and big plans for expansion outlined by their investor. Each year, tens of thousands of small business owners compete for the opportunity to pitch their products before a national audience of millions and secure a deal with one of the show’s high-profile investors. First aired in 2009, ABC’s Shark Tank, now in its 14th season, has grown to become a sort of American Idol of entrepreneurship.
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