If you were watching “Shark Tank” before it became a household name, you probably remember Kevin Harrington’s face on the panel. He was on the show for two seasons and was eventually replaced by Mark Cuban. As of 2023, Kevin Harrington has an estimated net worth of $400 million.
Early Days
In many ways, Kevin Harrington was born to be an entrepreneur. He grew up in Cincinnati, and his father ran a successful Italian restaurant. Kevin’s father mentored him at an early age and he quickly progressed from having a paper route to starting his own driveway sealcoating business at the age of 15.
Kevin also dabbled in selling baby high chairs, but it wasn’t until he discovered self-help author Napoleon Hill and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar that young Kevin began his mercurial rise as an entrepreneur.
Doing Business
Ironically, Harrington started his career in the media when he did an infomercial for his business and noticed that there was nothing to watch late at night on cable networks when his commercial ran.
That led to him becoming president of National Media, and he quickly formed a joint venture with the Home Shopping Network. His success became addictive, and 20 of his businesses made over $100 million in revenue.
The Original Shark
As wealthy as Harrington became, he found true fame as one of the original members of the Shark Tank cast. Unlike many Sharks, Harrington actually made a good return on his investments but didn’t make many deals which wasn’t exactly great viewing.
Harrington left after two seasons because the producers didn’t believe he was a good fit for the show. Kevin didn’t invest in businesses that he couldn’t promote through infomercials. This heavily limited the amount of deals he could do. He was replaced by Mark Cuban in season three who is a much more entertaining Shark.
After Shark Tank
Shark Tank gave Harrington a lot of extra visibility, and he’s been able to capitalize on it by writing books, doing motivational speaking and coaching.
His first one was a book called “Act Now! How I Turn Ideas Into Million-Dollar Products” that he published in 2009. Harrington’s latest title is similar and it’s called “Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships and Beyond.”
His list of companies would fill an old-school business listing directory. The shortlist includes Harrington Business Development, On TV Inc., Reliant Interactive, Inc., Pitch Investors, the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA), and on and on.
In hindsight, it’s hard to tell the overall impact of his exit from Shark Tank. Harrington likely would have made a lot more money if he’d been able to continue on the show, but walking away with a net worth of $400 million isn’t a bad deal by anyone’s standards.
Personal Life
Unlike many entrepreneurial celebs who live a flashy lifestyle, Harrington is reserved about his personal life. He’s been married to his current wife, Crystal Harrington, for some time, and the couple lives in Florida. She has a son from a previous marriage.
