The Shark Tank television show has been running for over ten years and is one of the most popular TV shows on air. The show features successful entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to a group of investors called “sharks.” All of these sharks tank investors have made their fortunes in the business world. They’ve built thriving companies, sold them for millions and billions of dollars, or even created entire industries.
Many sharks are in the Shark Tank television show, but we know about the wealthiest sharks here. The Sharks are always looking for new ideas and will often invest money into a statement. So who are the successful shark tank investors, and what advice can you take from them?
In this article, we’re illustrating the top 6 successful Shark Tank investors from season one to the current!
The Top 6 successful Shark Tank Investors
1. Mark Cuban
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Mark Cuban is the wealthiest shark, with a net worth of $4.2billion.
Cuban took an entrepreneurial attitude in middle school and high school when he would sell trash bags to other students. This enabled him to afford the pair of shoes that he wanted.
He also had the opportunity to sell coins stamps throughout his time at school with great success as a salesman before graduating from high school. After graduation from Indiana University (IU), Cuban purchased and managed the most popular bar in town.
However, after that bar was shut down, he moved on to more significant opportunities- Dallas, Texas, where he took up work as bartender/bartender but soon turned into owning.
Micro Solutions was formed from a growing demand for highly specialized IT services in the medical and laboratory industries. Since 2008, their team of programmers and biotechnology experts have been implementing new projects systematically as they grow steadily.
MicroSolutions worth $6 million at 30 years old ($2million net profit) then selling it for an additional $1million cash, saving another$3 million which will be used later down the line). At age 30, Cuban inherited 3 Million dollars which led him to purchase lifetime first-class American Airlines tickets for 125k($3Million total spent).
2. Kevin O’Leary
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American businessman Kevin O’Leary is worth $400million thanks to his software company Softkey International, which he sold for a considerable sum back in the nineties. He’s the second richest shark on Shark Tank, although we’re still unsure how he earned his ‘Mr. Wonderful’ nickname.
Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary was born in Montreal, Quebec. He learned much from his mother about proper investing and watched her spend only the dividends of her investments but never the principal. That lesson has stuck with him for his whole life so far.
O’Leary’s life was changed forever when he was forced to scrape gum off the floor at his first job. That moment inspired him to work for himself, and he never looked back. His response: “No.”
He attended University despite wanting to be a photographer. Eventually, He earned an MBA in entrepreneurship from the Ivey Business School at The University of Western Ontario – all during his time there, working with Nabisco as an assistant brand manager on marketing their cat food after completing an internship with them.
O’Leary has worked for Nabisco, as well as founding SET and Softkey. He secured an investor for 250 thousand dollars, who later backed out before signing paperwork. That was when he took his 25 grand from selling SET to find funding elsewhere-he used it to purchase ten more from his mother and approached printer manufacturers with a bundle of their software to achieve distribution.
By 1994 Softkey had become a billion-dollar consolidator in the educational software market after having acquired 60 rival companies then year alone!
3. Daymond John
Daymond John is a resourceful entrepreneur who has achieved unparalleled success in fashion and branding. He credits his success to learning, not waiting tables at Red Lobster.
After all, he has an estimated net worth of $350 million. He’s also behind co-working space blueprint+co, which helps connect entrepreneurs and provides them with the resources to grow their businesses.
He always found a way to up his game and acquire the skills needed for further business ventures, making him an opportunist. “The only thing more expensive than education,” says this thought leader, “is ignorance.”
He puts his money where his mouth is by investing time into educating himself on new topics like brand strategy when it may be necessary. He does this by writing books or giving speeches that inform others about doing the same things.
FUBU was launched from Daymond’s mother’s house with her remortgaged home in Hollis Queens: its original meaning stands for ‘For Us By Us’.
This iconic company tapped into brands they neglected before, paving the way forward for incremental innovation of branding strategies like what we see today coming from Daymond John’s camp.
4. Robert Herjavec
Robert Herjavec is an entrepreneur who has built and sold several multi-million dollar IT companies, now running The Herjavec Group, a fast-growing security software company. The Croatian-born investor founded “Herjavec Group,” considered a global leader in cybersecurity. The net worth of shark Robert Herjavec is estimated to be $200 million.
His business success has earned him global recognition and seen his book chart as a bestseller with “Driven” and “The Will to Win.”Robert offers budding entrepreneurs wisdom from his complex life experiences – all that he learned in Canada as an immigrant from the farmlands of Croatia, discovering what it meant to be poor in an alien economic landscape.
Herjavec’s first successful business was BRAK Systems which sold for roughly 100 million dollars to AT&T Canada. Robert also invests in film production through his own production company Propagate Inc., TV shows like Dragons’ Den, and fitness equipment at P90X Studios with Tony Horton.
5. Lori Greiner
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Inventor and television personality Lori Greiner is one of the most prolific inventors of her generation. After early success with one product that turned into something magnificent, she has since created over 450 products and holds 120 US and international patents. With a net worth estimated around $120million, it’s no wonder Lori Greiner is the Queen of QVC.
The key to Lori’s success is her ability to solve problems for a massive audience while also maintaining affordability- all qualities that have won her a lot of attention and admiration from people who know what it takes to be successful!
Lori never stopped moving from her Chicago-based communications central to a gig at the Chicago Tribune. With $300,000 and an earring holder idea in hand, she acted on inspiration. She got it into J.C. Penny Stores just in time for the holidays within her first year of business – For Your Ease Only Inc.’s profits totaled over $1 million by then as well!
She’s since built a net worth of over $100 million with product development and marketing managed alongside husband Dan’s support!
Greiner has made her fortune by inventing gadgets like the Fridge Freshener, Grip EZ Reacher, and Shoe Dazzle (a new application for your shoe). She’s appeared on Shark Tank since 2009 and has invested in over 100 companies.
6. Barbara Corcoran
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He is a real estate mogul with an estimated net worth of $100million. With nothing more than a loan of 1,000 dollars in the 1970s, she started the Corcoran Group and made her way to becoming one of New York’s most famous businesswomen.
She is an American business icon, speaker, and consultant. She is a shark tank investor on the hit show Shark Tank. It’s not hard to say that she has been a success in life- but it wasn’t always so clear for her.
As you can imagine, from day one, there was a competition between siblings – but also with herself because Barbara struggled academically through school, barely managing D’s most of the time. Barbara became a teacher who only lasted one year before becoming another job holder: twenty-two careers throughout their lifetime.
Corcoran’s initial year teaching was the only time she had ever considered a career in that field, and instead chose to focus on becoming a businesswoman. She has since gone through twenty-two careers over her lifetime, as of now.
Simone initially funded a $1,000 apartment rental company with Corcoran managing sales – but their relationship dissolved some years ago because he couldn’t keep up with supporting both his family and theirs financially or emotionally.
Since then, though, Corcoran realized how great real estate could be for sales opportunities thanks to meeting a Union Carbide engineer who decided not to rent but purchase property from Joe’s Diner while dining there. So two years later, they generated $500k+ worth of revenue after posting ads on next day.
What makes a good idea on the show?
Successful entrepreneurs need more than a good idea on Shark Tank. They’ll also need to convince the sharks that they have a great plan to take their business to the next level to win investment.
You might not get the deal you’re looking for with an investor, even if your idea is unique. It’s up to you to prove that your concept is worth pursuing.
These shark tank investors are looking for businesses that can bring in millions of dollars and make them money. If the product or service you’re pitching won’t reach a specific number, it might be best to rethink your idea before approaching them.
Why it’s essential to have your own business before pitching on the show?
Before you can pitch on the show, you have to have your own business. This means you have to have generated some revenue, and the show is looking for entrepreneurs who could make a lot of money back.
Some of the sharks are investors in other companies, so they will be more interested in hearing about a product that would return their investment.
Conclusion
Many factors make a pitch on Shark Tank’s success. Knowing the shark tank investors, understanding what they are looking for, and being prepared with a well-researched pitch are all necessary. And, of course, having a good idea.
But you don’t need to go on the show to get your idea funded. There are many ways to raise capital for your business, and the Shark Tank investors have plenty of advice to offer.
Many have started their businesses before and can offer some great insights into what it takes to succeed.
If you’re interested in starting your own business or pitching on Shark Tank, these six shark tank investors are worth knowing.
