'Shark Tank' judge Kevin O'Leary demands higher stake from contestants who made him wait for a deal

Kevin 'Mr. Wonderful' O’Leary showed his ruthless side after ToyBox founders did not immediately accept his offer.

PUBLISHED AUG 11, 2025

Screenshot showing Kevin O'Leary and the entrepreneurs on "Shark Tank" (Cover image source: YouTube | Shark Tank Global)

Kevin O’Leary is not an easy person to negotiate with on "Shark Tank," and so when one gets an offer from him, there might not be another one coming. Usually, it's best to immediately accept it. A couple of entrepreneurs did not adhere to this in an earlier episode of the show. The investor made sure that the entrepreneurs understood their mistake.

via GIPHY

The entrepreneurs were Jen Chin and Ben Baltes, and they sought $150,000 for a 5% stake in their company, ToyBox. The product is a 3D printer that kids could use to build their toys. It lets their imagination run wild as they can create anything they want. One does not need to have any technical knowledge about it either. The printer is controlled by an app in which one can design what to make.

The problem with it is that it costs $299. Now, that is not a lot of money as far as a 3D printer is concerned, but as something that children could use to play? That’s a lot of money. Most kids do not play with a single toy for too long a period of time. As a result, the printer could just lie there gathering dust after only a few weeks of use. Parents might not be willing to invest in something like that.

Screenshot showing the product. (Image credit: YouTube | Shark Tank Global)

The entrepreneurs said that they had recorded sales of $300,000, which was a decent figure. However, the response from the Sharks wasn’t all that positive. A lot of them did not believe that something like this would bring in a lot of money, despite its innovation. The cost was just too high. However, the one man who saw its value was Kevin O’Leary.

This was a niche product, and licensing was the way to go to turn this into a success. Mr. Wonderful believed that he would be a fantastic acquisition for the company given his connections and record. He therefore asked for 10% of the company for $150,000. This was a fantastic offer, but Lori Greiner still had not said anything. So, the entrepreneurs wanted to hear her out.

Screenshot showing the sharks. (Image credit: YouTube | Shark Tank)

“I want you to know something,” O’Leary said. “If she drops out, that gives me a lot more incentive to get friskier…because you are starting to lose Sharks here. I made you an offer.” The entrepreneurs did not heed his advice, and it turned out that Greiner did not want to invest in the company either.

O’Leary said that he would take 15% of the company, to which the entrepreneurs countered with 12%. “You think the difference is 3%?” Mr. Wonderful asked. “You either believe that 15% is worth it or not. I bring a lot to the table.” Ultimately, all parties agreed on a 13% stake and 2% in advisory shares.