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
The layoffs are expected to hit the People Experience and Technology units of the retailer.
2 hours ago
In the retailer's latest earnings call, CEO Ron Vachris praised the app based checkout system.
2 hours ago
The bill aims to overhaul the governance of community associations to increase transparency.
2 hours ago
The silicone strings attached to a Yetonamr toy have caused over 30 instances of choking. attached to the toy violate the safety standards and pose as a choking hazard.
5 hours ago
The young man earned Harvey's respect with his mature but creative answer.
7 hours ago
After the market saw its worst day since October, Trump seemed to soften his threats to the E.U.
1 day ago
The guest had previously bet that her 'His Master's Voice' gramophone wasn't authentic.
1 day ago
At the World Economic Forum, Trump made claims about the economy that the numbers fail to support.
1 day ago
The court is hearing arguments in a case challenging the president's authority to fire Cook.
2 days ago
The sweeping order directs the FTC and DOJ to limit purchase of homes by institutional investors.
2 days ago
Despite the pushback, Trump has made it clear that there is "no going back" on the issue.
2 days ago
Harvey knew the answer wouldn't be on the board as he had some first hand experience.
2 days ago
The guest, who knew about the artist's popularity, didn't expect to get a five-figure appraisal.
3 days ago
New tariffs will follow immediately if the court voids current ones.
3 days ago
Harvey was sure the answer was too weak as he knew women well enough.
3 days ago
The economist warned that the mounting debt, interest payments could push the U.S. into depression.
4 days ago
As per disclosures, Trump bought $2 million in bonds days before the announcement of a $82.7bn deal.
4 days ago
Harvey jokingly whispered to the contestant how she got it wrong.
4 days ago
While the player claimed he was covering for his family, Harvey wasn't convinced.
4 days ago