ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Shark Tank' fans think this founder got a deal because of 'pretty privilege' — then she fired back

Getting a deal on "Shark Tank" is a big deal and no entrepreneur wants to see that feat being belittled.
PUBLISHED FEB 19, 2025
Screenshots showing the entrepreneur on "Shark Tank" (Cover image source: YouTube | Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshots showing the entrepreneur on "Shark Tank" (Cover image source: YouTube | Sony Pictures Television)

"Shark Tank" is a platform where anyone with an innovative idea and the ability to communicate it can bag an investment to build a successful business, and viewers are mostly happy about it. But while people from all walks of life and all age groups get visibility through the show, women still face harsh judgment. When Blaine Anderson bagged a six-figure deal from Mark Cuban on an earlier episode of “Shark Tank”, a lot of people were left surprised. It was because she didn’t know how many classes her company, Dating by Blaine, sold over the year before appearing on the popular television show according to a Toronto Sun report.

A Reddit user named FreshPrice2038 uploaded a long post on r/sharktank suggesting that Anderson didn't deserve the deal. They had an issue with her initially asking for $100,000 for 2% equity, her want of a male investor, the fact that she rejected Kevin O’Leary since he would be more focused on the business and numbers, and the fact that she wasn’t fully aware of how much she was selling.



 

“She didn’t know her revenue numbers by product? She didn’t even know how many units or revenue she did for her biggest product,” the post read. Several comments under it suggested that she was only able to get a deal from Cuban since she was being extra nice to him and because of her appearance. Anderson was not going to remain silent and she hit back on X (formerly Twitter).

Speaking about the claims that ‘pretty privilege’ drove her to success, she wrote, “Pretty privilege probably helps. Deal with it.” In addition to that, Anderson wanted to give away 2% of her company at first but had to settle for 10% and Barbara Corcoran also played a part in her getting that deal. However, she also revealed that the deal did not actually go through.



 

It was not that the investor backed out after giving his word on national television. Blaine Anderson has a lot of respect for Mark Cuban. “Mark is down to earth, easy to work with, shockingly accessible, super smart, and funny. He cares about his entrepreneurs, and I’d be glad to work with him someday,” she wrote on X. However, it was she who backed out despite spending a lot on legal fees.



 

She said that her life would have been a lot harder if her company had outside investment and just wanted to run the company she founded in a way that she saw fit. It was nothing personal against Cuban.



 

Anderson was the one who was approached by a producer of the show in 2023 and was encouraged to apply. At the time, she thought that an outside investor might not be a bad thing. “It took me months to realize that, and for everyone involved’s sake, I’m sorry I didn’t see the light sooner,” she wrote, explaining why she did what she did.



 

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
All hope seemed lost for the entrepreneurs who had come up with an innovative health product.
9 hours ago
Fans compared Jennings' laid-back style with late television host Fred Rogers.
10 hours ago
The offer being made to the entrepreneurs by O'Leary also seemed to be a bit unfair.
13 hours ago
The guest said that she had received the item from her grandmother who had inherited it.
15 hours ago
The "Pawn Stars" were aleft impressed by the only basketball signed by the OGs Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Kobe.
1 day ago
Turns out that Mr. Wonderful was ordained by the state of California to do the job.
1 day ago
Fans did not expect to see a person with such a striking resemblance to the former Vice President.
1 day ago
Rick Harrison wasn't trying to this item for a low price as it was historically significant.
1 day ago
Despite offering $1.5 million, Harrison was unable to make a deal for the historic item.
2 days ago
Kevin O'Leary hailed their salesmanship after coming to a $600,000 valuation.
2 days ago
The star also followed it up with a second shoutout seeking another chance for her on the show.
2 days ago
The clock was a piece of art and its mechanism was as intriguing as it gets.
2 days ago
The company wasn't profitable and this alone had turned away most sharks in the first place.
2 days ago
All three contestants were unable to make the right guess, and fans pointed out what was wrong online.
3 days ago
The guest was enthusiastic about the painting and the expert was marvelled by its story.
3 days ago
Even the contestant lost his balance as he laughed at his answer immediately.
3 days ago
The Duke of Wellington gifted them the table and a set of willow-patterned tea sets to go with it.
3 days ago
Her product could help a lot of people protect their homes and loved ones from deadly fires.
4 days ago
A lot of the sharks were unsure about the product due to unfortunate incidents in the past.
4 days ago
“He seems like a lot of fun as a dad,” Seacrest admired Tony and Mike Nunes' relationship.
4 days ago