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' star Kevin O'Leary slams founder for rejecting his deal in wild TV moment: "You're dead to me..."

O'Leary was told by the entrepreneur that he will rethink his decision when he sees graffiti anywhere.
PUBLISHED JAN 13, 2025
Screenshots showing Kevin O'Leary and the entrepreneur who rejected his deal (Cover image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)
Screenshots showing Kevin O'Leary and the entrepreneur who rejected his deal (Cover image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

Kevin O’Leary may be known as Mr. Wonderful but the way he scrutinizes businesses and criticizes founders is far from pleasant. The celebrity investor is notorious for being unfiltered when it comes to sharing his opinion on businesses and products that come into the "Shark Tank". He is also known for offering classic deals that demand a large bite out of a business. This naturally leads to rejection from the entrepreneurs, which O'Leary doesn't seem to handle well.

Screenshot showing Kevin O'Leary talking to an entrepreneur
Screenshot showing Kevin O'Leary talking to an entrepreneur (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

In this particular episode from the earlier seasons of "Shark Tank," entrepreneur and founder of 'Graffiti Removal Services' Paul Watts, was pitching his franchise business model. Watts came with an ask of $350,000 in exchange for 15% equity, which he would soon realize was too much.

Screenshot showing the entrepreneur pitching his business (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)
Screenshot showing the entrepreneur pitching his business (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

Watts shared that he came up with the idea when he was contracted to clean up the graffiti of a city. He thought it could be a lucrative business that provided a service to the community and made money on the side. Thus, he launched Graffiti Removal Services, which uses a proprietary, non-toxic, eco-friendly chemical to remove graffiti without harming the surface underneath. Soon, after the pitch, Sharks started to question the idea.

Screenshot showing Watts demonstrating his service (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)
Screenshot showing Watts demonstrating his service (Image source:YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

O'Leary started by asking how many franchises Watts had sold. The founder said that he hadn't sold any as the franchise was approved only a month ago. Robert Hervajec asked if the company manufactured the proprietary chemical and Watts again responded with a no, as it was manufactured by another company, which didn't sell it in retail stores.

Since Watts had sold no franchises and didn't have a truly proprietary product, the Sharks lost interest. Barbara Corcoran was the first to drop out saying that the business wasn't sustainable. Another Shark dropped out citing similar issues. Daymond John also pulled out saying that the moment Watts' business becomes popular, the manufacturer of the chemical will start selling the product in retail stores. "You got nothing proprietary here," John said, leaving only Hervajec and O'Leary interested.



 

Both Herjavec and O'Leary had a problem with the valuation of the business. While they believed there was a way to make the business model work, they weren't willing to overpay. Hervajec was the first to offer a deal, asking for a whopping 75% for $350,000. 

Screenshot showing Robert Herjavec talking to Watts (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)
Screenshot showing Robert Herjavec talking to Watts (Image source:YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

O'Leary joined Hervajec in the deal, offering to go in as a partner. This meant that if Watts accepted the deal, he would essentially be working for the two sharks. However, Watts wasn't too keen on that and he chose to turn down the offer and walk away empty-handed.

Hervajec and O'Leary tried to convince him and urged him to rethink it. "There's nothing to think about here, No!" Watts said. This is when O'Leary lost it. "You’re dead to me if you turn around," he yelled.

Screenshot showing Kevin O'Leary talking to the entrepreneur (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)
Screenshot showing Kevin O'Leary talking to the entrepreneur (Image source: YouTube/ABC Shark Tank/Shark Think)

He further added that he will never think about Watts or his business again and other entrepreneurs will get rich off his money, but not Watts. All Watts had to say in response was, "Every time you see graffiti, you’ll think, I should’ve invested in that company," but O'Leary disagreed. 



 

In the end, Watts walked away proudly, keeping the majority stake in his company. Later in an interview with Wallet Prop, Watts expressed that the sharks made a huge mistake as his business took off after the episode aired.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The guest was shocked to learn that his Stradivarius violin wasn't what he thought it was.
4 hours ago
The owner of the collection of Danny Lyon SNCC Civil Rights Posters was left astonished in the end.
1 day ago
After Harrison bought a signed speed bag for $250, he happened to meet the star at a dinner.
1 day ago
The contestant, Doug, had a hard time coming up with a sensible answer.
1 day ago
While Jennings performed a half-baked trick, it still managed to thoroughly entertain the fans.
2 days ago
The player, Andy Schwartz registered the first loss of a car since Seacrest took over as host.
2 days ago
The guest kept his grandparents' antique instruments under his bed for years.
2 days ago
Harris wasn't the only one who came up with an answer that shocked everyone.
2 days ago
Despite getting a high auction estimate, the owner of the Meiji Period lamp chose to keep it.
3 days ago
The player, Gabriel Berkowitz pulled off a perfect night winning over $45,000 and a car.
3 days ago
Harvey showed no mercy after he found out that Sweet Lou Dunbar didn't know how apps work.
3 days ago
The founder of Plop Star made an unforgettable entry and a sad exit from the show.
4 days ago
The host is otherwise quick to reprimand families for backing absurd answers.
4 days ago
While the Marvel comic book fetched a $50,000 appraisal, Harrison felt it was too rich for him.
4 days ago
Jimmy Alexander became the first player to lose a brand-new car on season 43 of the show.
5 days ago
The contestant, Brianne Peterson got extremely unlucky with her letter picks for the final puzzle.
5 days ago
The guest was told that the Jasper Johns Flag Print wouldn't be valuable but it was worth thousands.
5 days ago
It didn’t help that Alvin Rosales was playfully scolded by the host just before losing the Bonus Round.
6 days ago
The photos featured some looks of the show's legendary former host, Alex Trebek, as well.
6 days ago
The player, Kate Stuntz, pulled off a miraculous win to take home over $68,000 and a trip to Iceland.
6 days ago