Kevin O'Leary reveals what he thinks of the US economy after the surprise GDP growth

Considering the headwinds in the past couple of years, including rising inflation and layoffs, there's a lot of speculation about what the U.S. economy would look like in 2026. Now, Shark Tank star and renowned entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary has expressed great optimism on the subject. Appearing on Fox News's "The Big Picture," the Canadian entrepreneur stated that the 4.3% GDP growth in the third quarter was unexpected and greatly positive for the next year. While he expected the momentum to carry on, he did express some concerns regarding the tariffs as well.

O'Leary, popularly known as Mr Wonderful, took to X to share a video clip of him speaking about the economy, the 43-day government shutdown, and the GDP growth rate of the U.S. He emphasized that due to the longest government shutdown in American history, the economic data was delayed and wonky. Despite this, the numbers for the third quarter were striking as the economy grew by "north of 4%". He explained that this figure is crucial as it reflects the economy’s productivity and how fast it is growing. The GDP really matters, and the number is a big, big upside according to O'Leary, who added that the U.S. remains the world’s strongest economy, attracting 50% of global investment. "The administration will tout that number and believe me, nobody expected it to be that big," O'Leary said.

However, the Shark Tank star did express some concerns that could cause problems for the economy going into the next year. He stated that in the upcoming midterm elections, apart from the economy, affordability and healthcare are going to be major topics of debate. He explained that despite the strong growth, inflation is still high, and the administration needs to "fine-tune" the tariffs to bring that down. He noted that the tariffs on India and Canada needed to be looked at to reduce tariffs on things like potash, which is not produced domestically. O'Leary's comments on inflation and tariffs align with the predictions made by Gene Munster, a prominent figure in the industry, as per Benzinga. The expert had previously explained that the two key issues could potentially become hurdles for the U.S. economy in 2026.

Coming to GDP, other economists have shared a similar positive outlook, like the Shark Tank star. As per Forbes, despite falling consumer confidence, a softening labor market, and the tariffs, the U.S. economy has been "shockingly" resilient in 2025. Thus, it is expected to enter 2026, with some momentum as the stimulus and tax benefits from the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Act (OBBBA) kick in, somewhere around February to March, 2026.

Furthermore, Goldman Sachs reported that the U.S. is set to substantially outperform estimates, growing at a 2.6% rate in 2026. The boost is expected to come from the tax cuts, easier financial conditions, and a "reduced drag" from tariffs in the first half of the coming year. As a result of tax cuts alone, the report estimates that American consumers will get around $100 billion extra in tax refunds. The rebound from the government shutdown is due to provide a boost as well, Jan Hatzius, chief economist and head of Goldman Sachs Research, noted. 

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