Lori Greiner is an entrepreneur, inventor, author, and investor. Greiner is most recognized for starring on ABC’s Shark Tank, where she invests in up and coming businesses. She has established a business empire and is an expert in intellectual property, with 120 patents to her name. Lori is also the CEO of For Your Ease Only, Inc. Lori Greiner has a net worth of $150 million, making her the fifth richest cast member on Shark Tank.
Early Life
Greiner was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 1969. She grew up in the Near North Side area, her father is a real estate developer and her mother is a psychologist. However, her parents divorced when she was nine years old.
Lori went to Loyola University Chicago to study film, communications, and journalism. During her college, she sold jewelry as a side hustle to help fund her education.
As a student, she also had a short spell as a playwright and worked as a journalist for The Chicago Tribune, a daily local newspaper. However, Lori was more passionate about creating products and building a business.
Career Beginnings
In 1996, Lori invented a plastic earring organizer. Initially, she only intended to use the idea to help herself, but she took out a $300,000 loan to create a prototype that she could market through retail channels.
It was a risky move, but it paid off in the end. The department store chain J.C. Penney ended up taking the item and helped her pay off her line of credit in just eighteen months. Her business grew as her product was featured at the Bed, Bath and Beyond shop and on Home Shopping Network.
Media Career
The first time she appeared on a shopping channel, she sold more than 2,500 earring organizers in just two minutes. After seeing her potential on screen, Lori went to the television network QVC to expand her advertising reach.
Her show, Clever & Unique Creations, became the longest-running program on the channel and this is why she’s referred to as the “Queen of QVC.” Clever & Unique Creations ran for 11 seasons, but Lori’s brand remains closely tied to QVC.
She joined the cast of Shark Tank as one of the investors that invests in hopeful entrepreneurs. Lori is also a part of the spin-off series, Beyond the Tank. Outside of reality TV, she also published a book titled “Invent it, Sell it, Bank it”!
Net Worth and Earnings
Lori Greiner is arguably the most successful investor on Shark Tank and has made more on the show than Mark Cuban. In 2014, she invested in Scrub Daddy, a cleaning product that has done over $400 million in sales. Squatty Potty is another profitable deal, the company has done $222 million in sales since airing on Shark Tank.
Furthermore, Lori has marketed more than 1,000 profitable products, with 120 patents to her name. Plus, she has book sales and owns For Your Ease Only, Inc. All of her pursuits result in a fortune of $150 million.
Personal Life
The accomplished businesswoman is married to Daniel Greiner. They got married in 2010 and they currently live in Chicago but have no kids together. Daniel is the Chief Financial Officer of For Your Ease Only, Inc.
