Every Shark Tank Shark Ranked From Worst To Best
"Shark Tank" has proven to be one of the most enduring and successful reality television shows of recent times. Based on a Japanese format that was originally known as "Money Tigers," it pits a string of entrepreneurs — who are attempting to gain investment for their products or businesses — against a panel of five so-called sharks. These sharks are experts in their respective fields and successful figures in the business world, giving them the knowledge and wealth needed to invest in the pitches they think could be successful.
Since it debuted in 2009, there has been a cast of five permanent sharks as well as a rotating collection of guests. They range from the ever-present Kevin O'Leary to one-off special appearances from the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Gwyneth Paltrow. Some of the sharks have proven to be particularly popular with fans, or have managed to land more lucrative deals, while there are others who demonstrate an ability to connect with those pitching their businesses which have endeared them to audiences.
Whatever the case, the various sharks who have been a part of "Shark Tank" have all played their part in making the series what it is today. But how exactly do they stack up against each other? Here is every notable "Shark Tank" shark ranked from worst to best.
14. Bethenny Frankel
Even before her appearances on "Shark Tank," Bethenny Frankel had already established herself as a formidable television personality. Many will know her from her appearances in the Bravo reality series "The Real Housewives of New York City," where she appeared in eight seasons from its debut in 2008. Her success on that show led to a number of spin-offs, including "Bethenny & Fredrik," "The Big Shot with Bethenny," and "Bethenny." As a businesswoman, she founded the company Skinnygirl and sold the cocktail line that included the Skinnygirl Margarita for $120 million in 2013. Frankel has also set up a charity and acts as a TV producer with her own production company.
Her high-profile nature and the fact that she has proven herself in the world of business means that she is a natural fit for "Shark Tank." Frankel made her first appearance as a guest Shark in Season 9 and has since made several more appearances between 2017 and 2019. During her time on the show, her most significant investment was in the food business Yumble. However, with an antagonistic and impatient personality, Frankel has remained one of the least popular sharks on the show. She regularly butted heads with Kevin O'Leary and could be argumentative with her colleagues and participants, meaning she didn't make many friends on the series.
13. Kevin Harrington
Claiming to be the "inventor of the infomercial," Kevin Harrington helped pioneer the idea of late-night shopping on cable channels and launched the As Seen On TV brand. A hugely successful entrepreneur, he has played an integral part in launching dozens of businesses and has an estimated net worth of more than $400 million. Considering all of this, there is little room to doubt Harrington's acumen and he seems like the perfect choice for "Shark Tank."
That might be why he was chosen to be one of the original regulars on the series, appearing in the very first episode of the show until his departure after two seasons. His exact reasons for leaving were never revealed, although Harrington seemingly enjoyed the experience. He told All Business: "I've learned even more about brokering deals in the heat of the moment with other sharks. You think you know what you're doing, but there's always more to learn. So, it's been informative and fun."
The fact that Harrington was only present for a limited number of episodes — and that these came so early on in the run of "Shark Tank" — has severely dented his overall popularity and impact on the series as a whole. In fact, many longtime fans of the series might not even be aware that he was once a shark.
12. Chris Sacca
Chris Sacca is among the most successful and wealthy sharks to ever appear on "Shark Tank." An investor and entrepreneur, Sacca made much of his fortune investing in companies such as Uber, Instagram, and Twitter. Setting up his own venture capital firm in the form of Lowercase Capital, he was able to grow his personal wealth incredibly quickly and has a net worth estimated to be around $1.2 billion.
His penchant for wearing Western-style shirts and living a relatively straightforward life made him something of an anomaly on "Shark Tank." Sacca appeared in 18 episodes between 2015 and 2020, mostly throughout Seasons 7 and 8. During his time on the show, the businessman invested in ToyMail with fellow shark Lori Greiner and vegan honey alternative company, Bee Free Honee.
Sacca has proved something of a divisive figure on the show, with many fans expressing how they dislike him online. This is primarily a result of his antagonistic style, with Sacca often arguing with other sharks and having a running feud with Mark Cuban. He was also quick to brag about his early investment in Uber whenever possible and failed to invest in many projects that were brought onto the show.
11. Alex Rodriguez
The first thing that comes to people's minds when they think of Alex Rodriguez is unlikely to be "Shark Tank" or his business empire. Instead, he is most famous for his career as a professional baseball player for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees. Known as A-Rod, the former sportsman set numerous records in the MLB and played at a high level until his retirement in 2016. After leaving baseball behind, Rodriguez transitioned to a media career, appearing as a panelist on a number of sports broadcasts. He has also continued his management of A-Rod Corp, an investment company he set up in the late '90s that has helped him amass a net worth of $400 million.
Rodriguez made his first appearance on "Shark Tank" back in 2017 and continued to appear in the ninth and tenth seasons. However, fans were slow to warm to the businessman as he had little chemistry with the other sharks and wasn't somebody who made many investments during his time on the show. Although he could be sympathetic towards the participants during their pitches, he offered little in the way of actual advice. Rodriguez has also significantly tainted his "Shark Tank" legacy after signing a deal with a rival network to produce a similar show. This decision meant he wasn't asked back to the ABC series.
10. Daymond John
Daymond John is one of the regular sharks on "Shark Tank," although he generally doesn't appear as much as the other permanent panelists. He made his fortune as the founder of FUBU, which has become a successful clothing brand well known for its association with hip-hop culture. John is an original Shark and has been on the series since the very beginning. He has since set up a consulting firm under the name The Shark Group and works with the Global Poverty Project.
Perhaps his biggest success story is Bombas Socks, one of the most successful products to come through "Shark Tank" and one that has made hundreds of millions in sales. Despite this, though, John cannot be ranked as high as other sharks. Having developed a reputation as arguably the most conservative and cautious Shark, he rarely invests, and when he does it is often with terms the potential entrepreneurs would never accept. Meanwhile, his standoffish approach and lack of humor have made him one of the least appealing cast members.
9. Matt Higgins
American businessman Matt Higgins largely amassed his $150 million net worth as an investor. As the CEO of RSE Ventures, Higgins primarily focuses on investing in sports, entertainment, media, food, lifestyle, and technology. He is also a close collaborator of Stephen M. Ross — the owner of the Miami Dolphins — with Higgins acting as Vice Chairman of the NFL team for many years.
He is one of the more recent guest sharks on the show, having first made his debut in 2018. Over the course of the next five years, he made a total of 11 appearances as a guest Shark and may well continue to appear in the future. Higgins is easily one of the most sympathetic and humble on "Shark Tank" and can often be seen showing empathy to participants. He has also shown he is a shrewd businessman during negotiations, striking deals with very favorable terms to him. However, his lack of showmanship means he sometimes doesn't stand out against some of the louder and more excitable sharks, making him one of the least popular members.
8. Richard Branson
British businessman and entrepreneur Richard Branson is a familiar face around the world. As the founder of the Virgin Group — which operates everything from the Virgin Records music label to the airline Virgin Atlantic — he has become a hugely influential and wealthy individual. His net worth is estimated at $3 billion and Branson is so well known that he has appeared in several television shows, such as "The Simpsons" and "Friends." Branson set up his first business when he was just 16 years old and has continued to create new companies up until the present day.
Among the other sharks on this list, Branson is the most infrequent to appear. In fact, he has only appeared in a total of six episodes between 2017 and 2019. During his time on "Shark Tank," he invested in companies such as Grypmat, Locker Board, and Sierra Madre Research. With a clear passion for entrepreneurship and a great understanding of what makes good businesses work, he was always a welcome sight as a guest shark. However, his impact and popularity largely stem from an incident when he got into an argument with Mark Cuban and ended up throwing water at his fellow shark.
7. Peter Jones
A regular figure on "Dragons Den" — the U.K. version of the show — Peter Jones is one of the few billionaires who have made a guest appearance on "Shark Tank." He began his career selling his own brand of computers but lost a significant amount of money and was forced to sell the brand to IBM. Jones has since expanded his interests into products such as mobile phones as well as businesses that cover everything from general retail to leisure and even television production.
The businessman made his first appearance on "Shark Tank" in 2021 and has now been involved in six episodes up until 2023, but is likely to appear in more if the fan reaction is anything to go by. Jones has consistently demonstrated he has a knack for spotting successful ideas and is a shrewd businessman who knows how to get the best deal and drive a hard bargain. Yet, he isn't unfair to participants and often offers constructive feedback. It is little wonder, then, that he has become a popular television personality in his own right in recent years — both in the U.K. and the U.S.
6. Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran is a business leader and investor who first found success with the real estate company, The Corcoran Group, which she founded in 1973. With an estimated net worth of $100 million, Corcoran is far from the most wealthy shark on the show but she is among the most experienced. Outside of business, she is a frequent contributor to a number of newspapers and magazines, including The Daily News and The Daily Review, and often appears as a media personality on television. Having had little success in school or in her early jobs, she was able to build a $5 billion real estate business using just a $1,000 loan she managed to secure while working as a waitress.
Corcoran found huge success after investing in The Comfy, which has gone on to sell millions of units since appearing on the show in 2017. She has also been a constant presence on "Shark Tank," having been on the series since it first started airing. With that being said, Corcoran is not a big fan-favorite. She rarely enters deals or makes investments and has a no-nonsense approach that can sometimes feel brash and aggressive.
5. Robert Herjavec
Robert Herjavec started his career as an assistant director for films in his native Canada before venturing into business. He founded and led several companies that were eventually sold for millions of dollars, allowing him to start The Herjavec Group, an information and security company that has grown to have a revenue of more than $200 million a year. He first moved into television in 2006 when he appeared as a regular Dragon on "Dragon's Den" in Canada before moving to the U.S. adaptation when it debuted in 2009.
A successful member of both versions of the show, Herjavec found the most success on the show thanks to his investment in Tipsy Elves. He put up $100,000 for a 10% stake and the company grew to have over $70 million in revenue by 2018. He has remained a popular shark due to his empathetic nature and ability to connect with participants, along with a spark of humor. This is obviously why he has proven a hit on different adaptations of the series in both the U.S. and Canada.
4. Rohan Oza
Rohan Ozo was born in Zambia and moved to the U.K. as a child before gaining degrees from both Nottingham University and the University of Michigan. Throughout his career, he has worked as a brand specialist, raising the profile and value of new products and businesses as well as lending his expertise to the likes of Coca-Cola. The marketing expert has worked with a variety of famous faces in this regard, ranging from 50 Cent to LeBron James and Jennifer Aniston. Outside of "Shark Tank," Oza has appeared on "The IMDb Show," "Celebrity Page," and the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
"Shark Tank" proved to be Oza's first major television role, with his debut appearance coming in 2017. He has since appeared in 23 episodes of the show in total, with his final appearance being in 2021. This cements his place as one of the most frequent guest sharks in the history of the series. Oza is often mentioned when fans are discussing the best guest sharks. His unique take, humble nature, and clear business knowledge make him a great addition as he demonstrates that he knows what he is talking about. Oza is also friendlier than many other sharks, listening carefully to pitches and refraining from piling on when other panelists criticize the participants.
3. Lori Greiner
With a net worth of $150 million, Lori Greiner rose to prominence in the world of business as an inventor and marketing expert. She has played a pivotal role in launching some of the most successful retail products of recent times, inventing many of these products herself. Her philosophy has always been to try and develop inventions that will make people's lives easier without breaking the bank.
Out of the regular sharks, Greiner is the one who joined the show most recently, with her first guest appearance occurring in Season 3 before she was made a permanent member in Season 4. She has since appeared in more than 260 episodes of "Shark Tank" and now acts as a producer on the series. An upbeat and charismatic member of the team, she has shown she is willing to take a risk and has added a new dynamic to the series as a more energetic and youthful shark.
Greiner also stands out among the sharks of "Shark Tank" for her track record when it comes to investing. She has partnered with some of the most successful products to ever appear on the show, including Scrub Daddy, Sleep Styler, Simply Fit Board, and Squatty Potty. As well as being a likable person, this shark seems to be more capable of spotting potential successes quicker than almost anyone else on the show.
2. Kevin O'Leary
Known as Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O'Leary is one of the original sharks on "Shark Tank." He has been a constant presence on the show since its very beginning and has now appeared in more than 300 episodes — meaning he has been around for some of the best "Shark Tank" episodes and some of the worst ones as well. Growing up, he lived in several countries around the world and eventually went on to found The Learning Company, which was sold to Mattel for over $4 billion just over a decade after it was formed.
There are a few key aspects of O'Leary's personality that make him such an important member of the show. He is a straight-talking figure that doesn't sugarcoat anything he says, meaning that he will often tell his other sharks and those pitching on the show what he really thinks of them. This makes for great television, especially when combined with his trademark sense of humor and ability to come out with memorable quotes or tell interesting stories.
But there's more to him than simply being outspoken. The businessman is willing to invest in a wide range of products and has a proven track record when it comes to "Shark Tank." He also works fairly with participants, offering them reasonable deals, and doesn't force the issue with unnecessary time limits.
1. Mark Cuban
Outside of "Shark Tank," Mark Cuban is an incredibly successful businessman, with an estimated net worth of over $6 billion. This makes him the wealthiest of all the regular and guest sharks to appear in the show over the course of its 14-year history. Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks and made much of his fortune by founding Broadcast.com with Todd Wagner. He showed an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, selling door-to-door before he was even a teenager.
Cuban is often seen as the lifeblood of "Shark Tank," with his charisma and upbeat personality giving the series a sense of energy that few others can manage. Often keen to offer advice and give constructive feedback to participants, the businessman doesn't appear to try and rip anyone off or be too greedy. He is also known for following through and keeping to his word, with a Forbes report suggesting he is the shark most likely to stick to terms and go through with a deal after the show has ended. Cuban is among the most frequent investors as well, with just Lori Greiner beating him out for the number of investments made during his time on "Shark Tank." Without Cuban, the show would simply not be the same.