Shark Tank: Kevin O'Leary Has A High Opinion Of Himself (Even After Controversy)
When "Shark Tank" was first released on ABC back in 2009, the only thing fans knew about the panel of investors was that they were successful and rich. Over time, the show grew more popular, and so did the Sharks themselves. Like most ongoing reality series, the spotlight started to shift a bit from the hopeful entrepreneurs to these bloodthirsty moguls, adding a closer look at their lives outside the show. Of course, whenever fans and media dive deeper into a person off-stage, juicy details and business controversies are often unearthed. And although negative revelations can often derail or even destroy a career, it seems like those stories may just come with the territory for these Sharks.
"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary took one of his first juicy chomps of success by developing a learning software company, eventually selling it to Mattel for millions of dollars. Reported to have about $400 million in net worth, the "Shark Tank" veteran has proven time and time again to know a thing about smart investments. However, there was a recent business venture of his that proved to be a disaster. But despite the controversy that surrounded it, O'Leary has not stopped considering himself absolutely wonderful.
A highly public failure has not phased Mr. Wonderful
It would seem as if being a regular on a hit network series that has run for nearly 15 years would be enough success to warrant a sense of accomplishment. But the carnivores on "Shark Tank" wouldn't be who they are if they didn't have multiple business ventures outside of the show. For Kevin O'Leary, one of these ventures was being a spokesperson for the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency company FTX, a choice that caused controversy as he still defended its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. Despite the highly public business failure, O'Leary has not stopped declaring how smart it is for hopeful entrepreneurs to team up with him.
Fans of "Shark Tank" have seen more than enough examples to understand O'Leary's high praise of himself. Barbara Corcoran called him "Mr. Wonderful" once in Season 1 and O'Leary ran with it. After the fallout of FTX, O'Leary explained to Forbes why it's still smart to partner with him by declaring, "I don't want to sound arrogant, but there's only one Mr. Wonderful ... I'm not like the typical venture capitalist." This confidence in his past success is probably why O'Leary isn't going anywhere in regard to the "Shark Tank" panel. And as for any entrepreneurs who decide not to accept his offers, O'Leary asserted in typical Mr. Wonderful fashion, "In a minute someone else is going to walk through that door and you'll be dead to me. I'll never remember what you said."