How the Pandemic Broke the Lie of Shark Tank (2024)

For 13 seasons, Shark Tank has always walked a fine line. The ABC reality series advertises itself as the place where the American Dream becomes possible, where ordinary people have a chance to become millionaires. The series has been the source for dozens of best-selling products, from the Scrub Daddy to Ring doorbells, and every episode promises that the next big opportunity could be on the horizon.

This capitalist optimism, though, is also wrapped up in the horror of reality TV. The show enforces a strict power imbalance between the pitching entrepreneurs and the shark investors. The sharks all play characters with various levels of benevolence: the “cool guy” Mark Cuban, the money-focused Mr. Wonderful, the girl-power Lori Greiner. But the entrepreneurs are not characters; the show makes characters out of them through manipulative editing. This is a common reality TV practice, but not many shows have people talking about selling their houses just to be there, and how if they don’t win they’ll be left in financial ruin.

The bubble of Shark Tank has always relied on the viewer inhabiting a different space than the sharks and entrepreneurs. Part of the fun of the show is judging the deals being made, yelling at the people pitching whether to take it or not, shaking your head at an obvious low-ball offer. The money is fake to the viewer. The show is just that: a show.

But in the last two years of worldwide turmoil, that bubble has popped. Every pitch over the past two seasons has included a tangent on how the entrepreneurs dealt with the pandemic, explaining rapid declines in sales or a diminished stock due to the slow supply chain. These are not events that just inhabit the world of the show anymore. Every American understands a sudden shift in finances or resources over the past year.

With the real world colliding with the constructed world of the television show, it’s no longer possible to separate the two. Suddenly, Shark Tank’s insidious subtext is much more noticeable. It’s harder to play along with the deals being made as entrepreneurs break into tears over selling their home or a loved one dying. And the sharks will cry too, to prove their human like us, but only for a moment before business has to carry on.

The characters the sharks play no longer work when the fake reality of the show falls apart. Mark Cuban’s cool guy attitude comes off even more unempathetic, Mr. Wonderful seems even more callous. Even Lori Greiner’s bleeding heart feels artificial.

Reality TV loves animosity, and Shark Tank is no different. While the sharks often get into fights with each other, the most brutal are when they fight with the entrepreneurs. If they perceive that they are being dismissed, undervalued, or written off, the sharks will unleash upon the people standing in front of them. They’ll be called liars and conmen, or even worse “ungrateful.” We are supposed to side with the sharks in these fights, but there’s really no reason to. The sharks are a group of billionaires playing a game with money they could never spend in their lifetimes. Is it really such an indignity for someone who’s $300,000 in debt to be a little impolite?

The financial hardships of COVID-19 make these fights appear straight out of a dystopian novel. While some entrepreneurs have businesses that already have millions of dollars in funding, others are essentially begging for money because they are on the brink of losing everything. A lack of decorum seems trivial, and the insistence on it is uncomfortable to watch.

The pandemic revealed what has been underneath Shark Tank during its entire 13 season run: a fundamentally imbalanced entertainment spectacle that works to enforce that billionaires deserve their wealth and that it’s possible to reach their level. But through this idea the show works to belittle and humiliate the middle and working classes, to put all faults on being successful on the individual. With COVID-19, every American has seen that sometimes the individual is powerless against economic turmoil, and that lives can be ruined because of uncontrollable events.

Shark Tank can’t work anymore unless the viewer chooses ignorance, to recede back into the false reality and pretend everything is just for entertainment. Once we’ve seen through the show’s lie, Shark Tank has nothing it can sell us.


Leila Jordan is the TV intern for Paste Magazine. To talk about all things movies, TV, and useless trivia you can find her @galaxyleila

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.

How the Pandemic Broke the Lie of Shark Tank (2024)

FAQs

What is the biggest Shark Tank failure? ›

What Shark Tank deals have failed? ToyGaroo, ShowNo Towels, Sweet Ballz, Body Jac, CATEapp, Breathometer and You Smell Soap are some of the companies that went through Shark Tank and later on shut down.

What was the most successful product turned down on Shark Tank? ›

Ring. One of the most notorious (and successful) Shark Tank rejects started as a video doorbell name Doorbot. After a famously tepid reaction from the sharks, Amazon later bought the company for a deal worth nearly $1 billion. By early 2018, the company introduced a smart home doorbell dubbed Ring.

Who is the most successful on Shark Tank? ›

SCRUB DADDY

Lori Greiner invested $20,000 for a 20% equity, a bid that soon paid off. Since then, Scrub Daddy has made over $100 million in sales, making it by and large the most successful pitch in the show's history.

Was Shark Tank Cancelled? ›

Find out how Shark Tank stacks up against other ABC TV shows. As of December 8, 2022, Shark Tank has not been cancelled or renewed for a 15th season. Stay tuned for further updates. Want to receive updates about this TV show automatically?

What is the #1 product on Shark Tank? ›

What Is the Most Successful Product on "Shark Tank"? With more than $225 million in lifetime sales, Bombas has generated the highest sales on "Shark Tank". The company, which sells comfort socks and T-shirts, donates one item per item sold to help the homeless.

Has any Shark Tank deals failed? ›

Shark Tank Failure Rates

Only 6% of the contestants in the last few seasons have gone out of business, and only 20% haven't turned a profit yet (but are still in business). Therefore, we can estimate that Shark Tank's success rate is around 94%.

What companies did Shark Tank reject? ›

Tossed From The Tank: The Most Successful Shark Tank Rejects
  • COPA DI VINO. James Martin was traveling through France when he came across prepackaged wine by the glass. ...
  • MealEnders. ...
  • The Lip Bar. ...
  • Kodiak Cakes. ...
  • Ring. ...
  • The Bouqs Company. ...
  • Coffee Meets Bagel. ...
  • Chef Big Shake.

Who sold their whole company on Shark Tank? ›

Coffee Meets Bagel

10 Impressed with the presentation and the product, Mark Cuban made the largest offer in the show's history—$30 million to buy the entire company. Not wanting to walk away from the company, the sisters quickly decided to leave the show with no deal.

Is any shark a billionaire? ›

'Shark Tank' Net Worth: Three Sharks Are Actually Billionaires!

Who is the owner of Shark Tank? ›

Shark Tank is produced by Mark Burnett and based on the format Dragons' Den, which originated in 2001 with the Japanese show, Tigers of Money.

Do the sharks get paid? ›

The Shark Tank judges are paid for their contribution to the show, but the money they invest is their own. Entrepreneurs on the other hand make a handshake deal on the show if a panel member is interested. However, if all of the panel members opt out, the entrepreneur leaves empty-handed.

Was Shark Tank scripted? ›

However, a recent pitcher on the show has now cleared the air and has revealed that nothing on the show is scripted. Angad, who appeared on the show with his wife Kanika, has revealed the behind-the-camera details during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session.

Is Shark Tank pre staged? ›

As reality shows go, ABC's "Shark Tank" is indeed real, says investor Mark Cuban. "It's our money, it's all real," Cuban tells Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief, Andy Serwer in an interview published Thursday. The Sharks put down their own money and the entrepreneurs are pitching their real businesses.

Do sharks invest their own money? ›

"Shark Tank" gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their fledgling companies to some of the most successful business people in the world. These Sharks invest their own money in these companies -- but how did the Sharks themselves get so rich?

What is the most successful product ever? ›

Here is a list of the top ten selling products of all time.
  1. Sony PlayStation. Launched in the year 1995 by Sony in the United States had a 32-bit processor. ...
  2. Lipitor. ...
  3. Toyota Corolla. ...
  4. Star Wars. ...
  5. iPad. ...
  6. iPhone. ...
  7. Super Mario. ...
  8. Michael Jackso's Thriller.
27 Dec 2019

Have all 5 Sharks make a deal? ›

Charles Michael Yim pitches the Breathometer on ABC's “Shark Tank” in 2013. The pitch was compelling, and Yim became the first “Shark Tank” entrepreneur to pull in all five Sharks into a joint investment.

Did Mark Cuban threaten to leave Shark Tank? ›

In fact, the TV personality is even considering stepping away from the ABC show that launched him into public notoriety. “Part of me wants to quit,” he told the outlet. “They'll survive fine without me.” Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin OLeary on Shark Tank.

Who is the biggest investor in Uber? ›

Top 10 Owners of Uber Technologies Inc
StockholderStakeShares owned
Morgan Stanley Investment Managem...5.76%113,969,296
The Vanguard Group, Inc.5.39%106,715,769
Fidelity Management & Research Co...5.04%99,712,717
BlackRock Fund Advisors2.90%57,441,683
6 more rows

Did Uber win the lawsuit? ›

Uber recently agreed to pay $8.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit with California drivers who claimed they were misclassified as independent contractors, rather than employees.

Who is the youngest person to get a deal on Shark Tank? ›

We are pleased to share that our Pathways Prodigy - Anoushka Jolly, was the youngest participant in Business Reality Show, Shark Tank India. The 13-year-old, daughter of a chartered accountant and an entrepreneur, has plans to take her entrepreneurial journey ahead.

How many companies are successful from Shark Tank? ›

How many 'Shark Tank' companies get deals? Data collected by Halle Tecco and published on The Hustle in 2019 revealed that 56 percent of Shark Tank contestants by that point had successfully made deals—with an average deal of $286,000 and an average of 27 percent equity given up.

How much does it cost to go on Shark Tank? ›

So entrepreneurs did previously have to pay to be on Shark Tank, but not anymore. They can go on hoping to get a deal with one of the sharks, and if that deal is successful they might see their products on Amazon one day. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!

Why do Shark Tank deals not go through? ›

It's not uncommon for verbal agreements on “Shark Tank” to fail after the camera stops rolling. In 2016, Forbes spoke with 237 participants who appeared during the show's first seven seasons and found that 43% said their deals never completed, either because the sharks pulled out or the entrepreneurs balked.

What products have failed on Shark Tank? ›

5 'Shark Tank' Fails That Cost Big Money
  • The Body Jac. ...
  • Breathometer. ...
  • Sweet Ballz. ...
  • Show No Towels. ...
  • Toygaroo.
7 days ago

What percentage of Shark Tank deals fall through? ›

90% of the deals fall through because the Founders believed the conditions weren't good for their business even though they took the deal on TV. Then, some deals have taken so long to negotiate that the episode has already aired.

Who is the wealthiest Shark investor on Shark Tank? ›

1) Mark Cuban: $5 Billion

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mark Cuban is the richest shark on Shark Tank, as his estimated net worth is $5 billion. He joined the show in Season 2 and has been a part of the panel since then.

Who turned down a million dollars on Shark Tank? ›

Deborah Torres: making it on her own

Impressed by her product, the sharks offered Torres $1 million for her company. She turned it down.

What is Donald Trump's net worth? ›

Who has the most money in the world? ›

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla and is currently the richest person in the world, he has a net worth of $191.2 billion.

Is Mark Cuban still a billionaire? ›

How Mark Cuban's Net Worth: From Negative $30,000 to Billionaire NBA Owner. In about 40 years, Mark Cuban built an estimated net worth of $5 billion. According to Bloomberg, Cuban's net worth in 2022 can buy about 59 million barrels of crude oil.

Is Shark owned by ninja? ›

SharkNinja (officially, SharkNinja Operating LLC) is an American designer, marketer and distributor of home devices and appliances.
...
SharkNinja.
Trade nameSharkNinja
BrandsShark Ninja
ParentJS Global
WebsiteSharkNinja.com
6 more rows

How did Lori Greiner get rich? ›

Lori Greiner has made her millions by creating and selling more than 1,000 products, including some of the most popular jewelry and cosmetic organizers of all time. Her products have been sold on QVC and by retailers across the world.

Do Shark Tank judges use their own money? ›

"It's all unscripted." "The sharks are paid as cast stars of the show, but the money they invest is their own," according to its Wikipedia page. "The entrepreneur can make a handshake deal on the show if a panel member is interested.

What happens if you tip a shark? ›

Alternatively, if a shark is forcefully flipped over, most will immediately become paralyzed, only regaining control after an average of 15 minutes.

How much does Mark Cuban make on the shark tank? ›

Turns out, after investing nearly $28 million in 85 start-ups on the popular television show, Cuban has made nothing. That's right, nada.

How accurate is Shark Tank? ›

Forbes tracked hundreds of on-air deals from the first seven seasons of “Shark Tank” and found that more than 40 percent actually fell through off-camera, while another 30 percent went through significant changes.

Who is the richest among Shark Tank judges? ›

Ghazal Alagh, 33, is one of Shark Tank's youngest members. Alagh, co-founder and CEO of an Indian unicorn brand, is estimated to be worth Rs. 148 crores*** (Rs.

Does Shark Tank air every pitch? ›

And even after they're selected to be on the show, contestants are warned that their segment might not make it to TV. In fact, just over half of the pitches filmed will actually air. According to USA Today, Shark Tank filmed 158 segments for a recent season, but only 88 made the final cut.

Are Shark Tank deals legally binding? ›

The sharks back out of a lot of deals.

The agreements made on the show between sharks and entrepreneurs are non-binding handshake deals, and many of them never close. Why not? Entrepreneurs have been known to fudge some of their company's financial figures, or make false claims like they have a patent on a product.

Who is the most successful shark? ›

Mark Cuban is one of the most outspoken sharks. He rose to prominence as the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Cuban is a blue-collar billionaire who started his career during the dotcom bubble in the 1990s. He sold his company Broadcast.com to Yahoo! in 1999 for $5.7 billion in company stock.

Which Shark owns the most companies? ›

One Shark in particular has stake in 10 of the top 20 companies: Lori Greiner.

Which Shark has made the most successful deals? ›

Lori Greiner's Best Deal

In just 3 short years since appearing on Shark Tank, Everlywell has made over $300 million in sales and recently secured funding at a $2.9 billion valuation, making it the most successful Shark Tank product of all time and Shark Tank's Best Deal ever!

Has there ever been a 5 Shark deal on Shark Tank? ›

Charles Michael Yim pitches the Breathometer on ABC's “Shark Tank” in 2013. The pitch was compelling, and Yim became the first “Shark Tank” entrepreneur to pull in all five Sharks into a joint investment.

Which Shark has made the least Deals? ›

Kevin O'Leary: Worst 'Shark Tank' investment ever lost half a million.

How many sharks declined since 1970? ›

We find that, since 1970, the global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays has declined by 71% owing to an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure.

What percent of Shark Tank companies fail? ›

Shark Tank Failure Rates

Only 6% of the contestants in the last few seasons have gone out of business, and only 20% haven't turned a profit yet (but are still in business). Therefore, we can estimate that Shark Tank's success rate is around 94%.

What is the rarest shark ever? ›

The speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis) is one of the rarest shark species on earth, found only in tropical rivers in New Guinea and northern Australia. The speartooth shark is not targeted by fisheries for its meat or fins, but it may be accidentally caught in fishing nets as by-catch.

Are 90% of sharks gone? ›

“It's a great mystery,” Elizabeth Sibert, a paleobiologist and oceanographer at Yale University, told Science News. “Sharks have been around for 400 million years. They've been through hell and back. And yet this event wiped out (up to) 90% of them.”

What is the biggest threat to the shark population? ›

Seventeen out of the 39 pelagic shark species are threatened with extinction. As with most shark species, overfishing is by far the biggest threat to most larger reef sharks, while damage to reef and other key habitats is also having an impact.

Why would most sharks sink if they stopped swimming? ›

Instead, these sharks rely on obligate ram ventilation, a way of breathing that requires sharks to swim with their mouths open. The faster they swim, the more water is pushed through their gills. If they stop swimming, they stop receiving oxygen. They move or die.

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