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

Kevin O'Leary gets angry at 'Shark Tank' founder for repeatedly ignoring his offer: 'When I make...'

While Mr Wonderful wanted to close the deal quickly, the founder of Flipstik was hesitant.
PUBLISHED APR 13, 2025
Screenshots showing Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran and the founder of Flipstik, Akeem (Cover image source: YouTube | Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshots showing Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran and the founder of Flipstik, Akeem (Cover image source: YouTube | Sony Pictures Television)

Time is money, and "Shark Tank" judge Kevin O'Leary makes sure entrepreneurs asking for his cash learn this lesson the hard way. Each second could be worth thousands of dollars, and wasting a shark's time could come with a hefty cost. The founder of 'Flipstik,' Akeem, learned about this after he failed to respect O'Leary's time on the show. The young entrepreneur made the mistake of overlooking Mr Wonderful's offer to entertain other sharks, which almost cost him $100,000.

Screenshot showing Akeem making his pitch (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Akeem making his pitch (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

In the episode, Akeem was seeking $100,000 for a 20% stake in his business. Akeem entered the stage wearing a makeshift astronaut suit and presented Flipstik, a kickstand and filming companion that sticks to the back of the phone. His pitch was a self-written rap, which instantly impressed the panel of judges. "It was the best rap on Shark Tank ever!" Mark Cuban said at the end of the pitch. What impressed the Sharks more was the demo of the product, during which Akeem showed how the adhesive surface of the product helped a phone stick to any surface. He showed that the adhesive material could withstand the dirtiest household items, hair, sand, and more. 

Screenshot showing Akeem demonstrating the product (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Akeem demonstrating the product (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

Explaining the origin of the product, Akeem shared that he once spoke with his uncle, an engineer for NASA, who told him about an adhesive material that the organization had developed in the '70s. He shared that the design of the material was inspired by geckos' feet, and it used a material called Synthetic Setae,  a paper-thin reusable adhesive that holds up to 2 pounds. While the Sharks were impressed by the product and the pitch, the sales numbers of Flipstik turned out to be disappointing for them. Akeem shared that the company had managed to sell only $115,000 worth of products in the past two and a half years. "Hey Keem! Something's not adding up. Your sales suck! $115,000 over two years is awful," Cuban said. Akeem explained that the margins were significant as each product cost him only 58 cents to make and it sold for $15.

This was enough to get O'Leary interested, and he interrupted Lori Greiner to make an offer. "You don't need Lori because you gotta stop selling sometimes to let the offers start coming. I like the deal, valuation's not crazy, I'll give you a hundred thousand for 20%. Exactly what you want," O'Leary said. 

Screenshot showing O'Leary making an offer (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing O'Leary making an offer (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

However, Akeem chose to entertain Greiner's question about competition and clarified that none of the products in the market could do what Flipstik does. When O'Leary tried to get back to the deal, he was again interrupted by Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John, both of whom dropped out. 

Screenshot showing Akeem talking to Lori Greiner (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Akeem talking to Lori Greiner (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

Then Cuban jumped in to ask about sales, and Akeem answered the question saying they sold only $1,500 worth of product in the last month. This was enough for O'Leary to lose his patience. "When I make an offer on Shark Tank, I am the only Mr Wonderful. It was exactly what you wanted, you should have taken it, but now you only have one Shark because I'm out," he said. 



 

Luckily for Akeem, Greiner was still interested. After telling the entrepreneur that she was all that he needed, she offered a deal of $100,000 for 25%. After some negotiating, the entrepreneur accepted Greiner's offer and luckily walked out with a deal.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Supporters of the Trump administration are not happy with the retailer's latest move.
18 minutes ago
The advocacy group, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, addressed the letter to CEO Andy Jassy.
3 hours ago
The player, Noah Kraski solved the final puzzle with just two clues on the board.
8 hours ago
In a suit filed in the Court of International Trade, the retailer argued the tariffs were unlawful.
1 day ago
The company will pay about 15,000 workers a weekly compensation and millions in civil penalties.
1 day ago
Chorsie Calber IV, who lost a car on Thursday, won $120,000 in his second Bonus Round of the week.
2 days ago
The Black Friday sales were up by 10.1% from 2024, despite economic uncertainty and cost concerns.
2 days ago
The two Choceur brand products from Silvestri Sweets were sold in over a dozen states.
2 days ago
While Toni Perrotta didn't land on the big prize, she got to drive home a Toyota sports car
6 days ago
The Turkey Dinner Kit has got rave reviews from customers on social media already.
6 days ago
The contestant, Liz St. Claire got close to taking home nearly $75,000.
6 days ago
The contestant, Emily bet $10,000 on the item and ended up losing everything.
6 days ago
Members on Instagram called out the retailer for the exorbitant prices of seafood.
7 days ago
While the trend in consumers isn't that alarming, the same for businesses can trigger harm.
7 days ago
With the average gas price falling to a record low of $3.02 per gallon, millions are taking to the road.
7 days ago
Harvey made it clear why he won't be seen at a T-Swift concert with one of his friends.
7 days ago
The player, Tanequa Ward looked set to win the big prize at a point.
Nov 25, 2025
CEO Ted Decker claimed the decline in demand for home improvements will likely continue through 2025.
Nov 25, 2025
A post on Reddit sparked concerns as a member claimed the retailer had completely moved to the app.
Nov 25, 2025
The contestant, Melissa Mosel got a raw deal with her category choice and letter picks.
Nov 24, 2025