Barbara Corcoran flirts with 'Shark Tank' contestant, then offers him 6-figure deal: "For you, baby"

Pitches on “Shark Tank” can range from entertaining to embarrassing and downright bizarre, but investors never shy away from participating in antics deployed by entrepreneurs or from engaging in some banter. One entrepreneur was so good that he was called a “rare combination of extremely authentic, extremely credible, and extremely fun” by Robert Herjavec. But he was not the one who offered him a deal on this occasion. It was a very smitten Barbara Corcoran who believed that this man looked just like an ex-boyfriend she had many years ago.

The entrepreneur in question was a man named Smith Baggett and he was looking for $100,000 for 20% of his company, flaminGo. The company specializes in making pre-charged chargers for cell phones and various other electronic devices so that if someone's phone is about to die, they can grab one of these off the shelf at a store, an amusement park, at the movies, or even at a sports arena and charge it.

Corcoran liked the product but she liked the man behind it even more. Adorned in a pink suit and a cowboy hat, Baggett appealed to the celebrity investor in a way not many contestants on the show have. She initially said that she would give him the money for 25% of the business, but she didn’t mind going lower. “Honestly I’d do it for 20% but I’m supposed to act like a shark. But for you baby I’m not a shark, I’m like a guppy in your arms,” she said as per MSN.

The other sharks suggested Baggett to counter with the 20% but the cowboy was also a gentleman. He said that he would be happy with 22.5% but Corcoran went one step further and said that she would be willing to close the deal for 22%. The deal was hence closed and in his celebration, the entrepreneur lifted Corcoran off the floor and spun her in his arms before putting her down and hugging her.

However, an experienced investor like Corcoran would never go into business with a man just because she finds him attractive. There must be something about the business side of things that she found lucrative. Sometimes, however, a simple product and an honest entrepreneur are all a company needs to become successful.

“He’s built a great business and has the grit, hustle, and enthusiasm it takes to turn flaminGO into a household name. I couldn’t resist saddling up with Smith on this ride! He’s a real winner,” she said. The Georgia native was also thankful that someone influenced by her was siding with him in a business venture that he built from the ground up.

“Ms. Barbara’s investment carries a lot of weight—she has a unique fanbase and a well-respected reputation. She always says she invests in the jockey, not the horse, meaning she bets on people, not just ideas. She has incredible intuition and a great read on businesses,” he added.