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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.

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