Since it made its debut on ABC in 2009, the television show SharkTank has been a place where some of the most innovative Americans pitch, making it a must-watch for entrepreneurs. More than the over-the-top pitches is the charisma of the show’s judges, each of whom brings something unique to the table.
MarkCuban, the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner, is the cunning fox who doesn’t mind cutting a deal right under everyone’s nose, BarbaraCorcoran is the stern one, whose favorite line is "I’m out," KevinO’Leary is equally tough but wonderful, so is RobertHerjavec. JohnDaymond sails the same boat. Last but not least is LoriGreiner, whose intuition has gotten her a fair amount of success. With every season comes a guest shark to join the crew. Here are the accolades some of them hold, and how much they are worth:
10 Emma Grede (Season 13)
Entrepreneur Emma Grede is set to appear on the 13th Season of Shark Tank. Grede is the co-founder of Good American, in which she has partnered with Khloe Kardashian. While the exact personal net worth of Grede is unknown, Good American is valued at $12.7 million by Owler. Besides the collaboration, she has a hand in other businesses such as Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS, which is valued at $1.6 billion.
9 Alex Rodriguez (Season 12)
As a baseball player, Alex Rodriguez cashed big bank, commanding millions in remuneration. When he retired, the former New York Yankees player took to investment and founded A-Rod Cop which has made investments in Snapchat, Wheels Up, and Wave, to name but a few. In 2016, Forbes estimated A-rod’s earning as an athlete at $21 million. Just like most guest sharks, Rodriguez had a situation with Mark Cuban when he made an appearance on the show.
8 Kevin Hart (Season 13)
From humble beginnings in Philadelphia, Kevin Hart has morphed from his stand-up comedy years into a budding entrepreneur who churns content through his company, Hartbeat Productions. The Real Husbands of Hollywood star also cashes big by appearing in movies. In 2020, Forbes estimated his earnings at $39 million and placed him at the 84th position amongst the highest-earning celebrities. Hart is set to appear on the 13th season of Shark Tank.
7 Ashton Kutcher (Season 7)
As an actor, Kutcher has managed to carve a career that’s well past its second decade. Off the screens, Kutcher, who was at one time one of the highest-paid actors, has a hand in the world of business. He’s made investments in technology startups such as Lemonade and co-owns the venture capital firm, A-Grade Investments, which was estimated by Forbes to be worth $236 million in 2016. Kutcher’s appearance on Shark Tank included a little exchange of words with Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary.
6 Blake Mycoskie ( Season 12)
Born to an orthopedic surgeon and an author, Blake Mycoskie had his entrepreneurial beginnings in Nashville, where he founded a company that specialized in marketing country music. Mycoskie would later found Toms Shoes, a company that was inspired by a trip to Argentina. A 2020 valuation placed the company to be worth $625 million. As a guest shark, he joined other sharks by opting out of a K9 mask deal.
5 Matt Higgins (Season 10)
Back in 2012, Matt Higgins co-founded RSE Ventures alongside Stephen Ross. Higgins is an executive at Miami Dolphins, a team owned by Ross. RSE Ventures has invested in several companies including Thuzio, FanVision, and Resy. Reports suggest that Higgins’ individual net worth is $150 million. As a guest Shark, Higgins managed to steal a business Kevin O’Leary was eyeing by giving a sleek counteroffer.
4 Sara Blakely ( Season 9)
Forbes ranks Spanx founder Sara Blakely amongst the richest self-made American women. Blakely, who is from a door-to-door fax selling past, managed to revolutionize how women wore undergarments, and has built an empire that spans across 50 countries. When she made her appearance, Blakely got into a joint deal with Barbara Corcoran in a heartbeat, much to Mark Cuban’s disappointment.
3 Jamie Siminoff (Season 10)
Known as the founder of the Ring, the video doorbell, Jamie Siminoff’s case can be summarized by the saying ‘what goes around comes around.’ Siminoff was first a contestant on Shark Tank, where he pitched his impressive idea. None of the sharks could buy his idea, and he went home without a deal. Siminoff would later rebrand his product, and sell it to Amazon for a billion dollars. He returned as a guest shark in the 10th season.
2 Steven Tisch (Season 5)
Steven Tisch is the co-owner and vice president of the NFL team The New York Giants, that is a family business. As a television producer, he is credited for churning some top-grossing films like Forrest Gump, Snatch and American History X. Tisch has not only appeared in the United States version of Shark Tank, but the Australian one as well.
1 Richard Branson (Season 9)
Known for his businesses that bear the ‘Virgin’ name, Richard Branson founded Virgin Group back in the ‘70s. Forbes places Branson’s net worth at $4.5 billion and ranks him at position 571 amongst the world’s billionaires. During a pitch by Simple Habit, Branson was trying to give a counteroffer, when he was met with resistance from Mark Cuban. The Virgin Group mogul in turn threw a glass of water in Mark’s direction, much to Cuban’s disbelief. In true Cuban fashion, the Dallas Mavericks owner returned the favor.
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