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 / NEWS

'Shark Tank' judge Mark Cuban calls Kevin O'Leary 'an idiot' — moments before closing a $180k deal

Cuban wanted to strike a deal with the founder of Coconut Girl and gave her an ultimatum.
PUBLISHED JUL 13, 2025
Screenshot showing Mark Cuban and the founder of Coconut Girl (Cover image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)
Screenshot showing Mark Cuban and the founder of Coconut Girl (Cover image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)

"Shark Tank" investors are known to be ruthless in their scrutiny of businesses and entrepreneurs are often on the receiving end of harsh comments. But some products are so good that every shark wants a piece, and that's when judges face off against each other. Something similar happened when Mark Cuban loved the taste of dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly ice cream sandwiches from a firm called Coconut Girl. To quickly seal the deal, he gave the company's founder, Francheska Yamsuam, an ultimatum to accept his $180,000 offer without hearing the other Sharks. When Kevin O'Leary tried to squeeze Cuban out of the deal, he even lowered his ask to finally close the deal.

Screenshot showing Yamsuam making her pitch (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)
Screenshot showing Yamsuam making her pitch (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)

The founder Yamsuam entered the Tank seeking $180,000 for 18% of her business. She shared how she wanted to create a healthier alternative to ice cream while she was making paleo-friendly smoothies and date milkshakes for her customers. She eventually ventured into ice cream by using coconut milk instead of dairy.

Screenshot showing Yamsuam talking about her products (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)
Screenshot showing Yamsuam talking about her products (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)

She shared that the Coconut Girl ice cream sandwiches are gluten-free and paleo-friendly, and the company uses almond flour and almond butter, along with ingredients like coconut milk, dates, and maple syrup. She then handed out samples of all three flavors of her ice cream sandwich, which the Sharks loved. 

Screenshot showing Cuban asking for a sample (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)
Screenshot showing Cuban asking for a sample (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)

However, Cuban in particular was the most excited as he yelled, "Me! Me! Me!" when Yamsuan offered the samples. Yamsuam shared that the company did business with Whole Foods, and she projected to close the current year with $300,000 in sales. She told the judges that she needed the investment to hire more people and reduce costs by getting a better co-packer.

While there was more to find out, Cuban had heard enough as he made a quick offer, but with an ultimatum. "I don't even want to hear what these people have to say. I'll give you $180,000, but I want 25% if you say yes now". When Lori Greiner showed interest, Yamsuan said she wanted to respect the other Shark. This upset Cuban, and he dropped out, only to jump back in before Greiner could proceed.

Screenshot showing Cuban snubbing the other Sharks (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)
Screenshot showing Cuban snubbing the other Sharks (Image source: YouTube/Shark Tank Global)

To counter his offer, Yamsuan asked him if he was willing to go down on the equity ask. At this point, O'Leary jumped in, saying, "I'll help you, Frankie, I'll do it for 20% I'll squeeze Cuban's head for you." Cuban then responded with, "Only because he's an idiot, I'll do 20%." Yamsuam accepted the deal.

According to a Salesmate interview, Yamsuam saw enormous demand for Coconut Girl's ice cream sandwiches after her episode aired. In another update shared by the Shark Tank Blog, it was shared that the entrepreneur“sold part of her business."

More on Market Realist:

All 5 'Shark Tank' judges fought for their goggle brand — these founders knew exactly whom to pick

'Shark Tank' judges were fighting over this product but Lori Greiner knew exactly what to do

'Shark Tank' contestants showed off a Nikola Tesla-like science experiment and got a $500,000 deal

RELATED TOPICS SHARK TANK
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The best friends, Hanna Chung and Laura Tarpley, got tricked by just one word in the end.
6 hours ago
The player, Shannon Hunt got the host excited before missing the puzzle by a few letters.
8 hours ago
The founder of Hairfin managed to make it through the heckling to get a deal.
9 hours ago
The player, Jeff Richardson put up a stunning performance to drive home a new car.
1 day ago
Since Kevin O'Leary made the offer just to mess with Corcoran, the deal hit the Shark where it hurts.
1 day ago
Harrison chose to pass on the most important item of the collection for a strange reason.
1 day ago
The contestant, Alexa Kalanz was doing well throughout the game despite a rough start.
1 day ago
Despite having just 25% ownership of her company, Meagan Bowman managed to bag a $400,000 deal.
2 days ago
In the end, Harrison felt like he hit the jackpot as he knew every collector would be after the item.
2 days ago
Former players and audience members shared how the show deals with controversial statements.
3 days ago
Fans were divided on whether Adam Wredberg's Bonus Round puzzle was solvable or not.
3 days ago
The lucky win delighted the fans as the contestant, Sunita Baru took home more than $50,000.
4 days ago
Chris and Jeanie Rodgers didn't just beat up the zombie on the show, but also had him present their product to the judges.
4 days ago
Fans on Reddit complained complained that some games are either overly difficult by design or favor only physically fit contestants.
4 days ago
Contestant Joey Sweet took the loss in stride, but the show's viewers weren't happy with the puzzle selection.
5 days ago
A lot of things on set were put to the test during the "Is it real or is it cake?" challenge, including the host.
5 days ago
Fans were left disappointed after the contestant, Alicia Slagle, failed to guess an easy phrase in the finale.
5 days ago
Jackie Fakhoury was also joined by her husband and son in celebration on stage.
6 days ago
The guest had no idea that her $30 ring was studded with diamonds and made of platinum.
6 days ago