Shark Tank has welcomed a lot of entrepreneurs through its doors over the years. Apart from contestants, ABC also introduces new guest investors every season to spice things up. Some of them are even wealthier than the original cast. Below is a list of the richest Shark Tank guests to feature on the show.
1. John Paul Dejoria – $2.9 Billion
John Paul Dejoria is a self-made billionaire who earned his fortune in the hair care and alcohol industries. After serving in the US Navy, John worked several day jobs, including working in an entry-level role for Redken Laboratories.
After getting fired, John Paul co-founded John Paul Mitchell Systems. He launched the hair care company in 1980 with just a $700 loan. Dejoria’s next big moneymaker was co-founding The Patron Spirits Company, a tequila brand. He also made some shrewd early investments in oil and gas companies.
The billionaire was invited to be on season five of Shark Tank, where he made an emotional deal with Tree T Pee. Dejoria’s current net worth stands at $2.9 billion!
2. Richard Branson – $2.8 Billion
Business magnate Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group. It started as a record store chain in the 1970s, but now it’s a conglomerate that owns more than 400 companies.
Richard became an entrepreneur at 16 years old with a publication called Student. However, he didn’t get a taste of real success until he launched Virgin Records and became a millionaire by the age of 23.
Branson appeared in the premiere of season nine and invested in a skateboard startup called Locker Board. Things got heated in that episode as Branson threw water over fellow billionaire Mark Cuban. The British serial entrepreneur is now worth $2.8 billion.
3. Daniel Lubetzky – $2.3 Billion
A recurring guest on the show, Daniel Lubetzky is another successful entrepreneur who previously pursued a different career path. Lubetzky made his wealth founding the snack company Kind LLC.
After studying law at college, he worked at multinational firms, McKinsey & Company and Sullivan & Cromwell. Then, he started PeaceWorks and fell in love with entrepreneurship. In 2017, Daniel sold a 40% stake in Kind LLC to Mars and sold the remaining equity in 2020 for $5 billion.
Daniel is a popular guest with Shark Tank fans and has appeared in the last four seasons. He has invested in companies such as Quevos and Yellow Leaf Hammocks, which became a massive hit. It helped Lubetzky’s wealth grow to $2.3 billion.
4. Steve Tisch – $1.6 Billion
Steve Tisch is known as the chairman and executive vice president of the NFL team New York Giants. He is also a film producer who helped make several Hollywood blockbusters.
With support from Columbia Pictures, Tisch produced a number of short films when he was younger. After that, he went independent and backed movies like Forrest Gump and Risky Business.
As an entrepreneur, Steve was approached by Shark Tank producers to appear on season five. He made a deal with The Cookie Dough Cafe, but sadly it didn’t close. I don’t think Tisch was too annoyed as he is worth $1.6 billion.
5. Peter Jones – $1.3 Billion
Peter Jones is famous in the UK for being a cast member on a similar show, Dragons’ Den. However, he’s also made a few guest appearances on Shark Tank as “Mr. Worldwide.”
His first business was building personal computers, which failed. But after learning from his mistakes, he went on to found successful businesses in entertainment and leisure.
Jones was one of the most anticipated guests on season 13. There, he invested in Songlorious and Roq Innovation. As one of the most distinguished Shark Tank guests, Peter Jones has a $1.3 billion fortune.
6. Chris Sacca – $1.2 Billion
Tech entrepreneur Chris Sacca is the founder of Lowercase Capital and earned millions investing into early-stage startups including Uber, Kickstarter, Instagram, and Twitter.
Similar to Daniel Lubetzky, Chris started out as a lawyer. He later found himself working for Google, where he got the chance to fund many promising startups. Sacca eventually left Google to start a venture capital firm that would make him a billionaire.
He appeared in seasons 7 and 8 rocking a cowboy hat and closed deals with Bee Free Honee, HatchBaby, Brightwheel, and Rent Like a Champion. Sacca is currently worth $1.2 billion.
7. Sara Blakely – $1.1 Billion
At the peak of her career, Sara Blakely was the youngest self-made female billionaire. Her success came from founding Spanx, a company that sells leggings and shaping briefs.
Sara initially worked as a standup comedian and was also hired by Disney World and Danka. After inventing comfy pantyhose for women, she launched Spanx and rose to the top.
She joined the show in seasons 9 and 10, teaming up with Mark Cuban to invest in Alice’s Table. The influential woman’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.1 billion.
8. Kendra Scott – $580 Million
Fashion designer Kendra Scott rose to prominence after bootstrapping her company, Kendra Scott, LLC. The business started as a jewelry brand but expanded into a fashion line, selling accessories and beauty products.
Kendra started making her first jewelry pieces in a spare room in her house. She sold them door to door at nearby boutiques. Moreover, she personally pushed for her creations to be worn in fashion shows.
Kendra’s most notable investments came in season 12 with Sienna Sauce and BootayBag, with the latter receiving half a million dollars. Currently, Scott has a net worth of $580 million.
9. Kevin Hart – $450 Million
Comedian and actor, Kevin Hart was a surprising pick as a guest but he did impress Shark Tank fans with his business acumen. Kevin climbed the ranks of the comedy world by winning several standup contests. After his talent was discovered by producers, he became the star he is today.
He was chosen to be a guest investor on season 13 and shook hands with the founders of The Transformation Factory and Blacksands Entertainment. The comedian has a $450 million fortune.
10. Anne Wojcicki – $270 Million
Anne Wojcicki is a biologist who co-founded the personal genomics firm 23andMe. She is the CEO of the company and is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Wojcicki strived for years as a healthcare investment analyst, mostly working with biotechnology firms. Then, she started her own DNA testing company that let people know about their ancestry and health risks.
Anne was a guest investor in season 11 and made one investment with regenerative pet medicine provider Gallant. Wojcicki is now worth $270 million.
