"I'm not a venture capitalist" — Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary reveals his investment approach

Kevin O'Leary, a Shark Tank investor, joined Fox's podcast Kennedy Saves The World on February 22, 2025. The conversation started with the host joking that she initially thought Kevin's company was called O'Leary Vultures, which she thought was a great name because it sounded like the company preyed on people's dreams. Kevin laughed and said he made money by investing in entrepreneurs and inventors.

The Shark Tank investor explained that his success came from young entrepreneurs wanting him to invest in their companies.

Kevin said he was lucky to have built a good reputation over the years and many people he had invested with had done well and told others about their positive experiences.

As a result, Kevin gained a large following of 10 million people, which he considered very valuable. He didn't think of himself as a regular investor or venture capitalist, but rather as someone who made smart investments and built a strong brand.

"So, although I don't consider myself to be a regular investor, I'm not a venture capitalist, I have 10 million followers. That's very valuable," stated Kevin.

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Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary reveals how he boosts customer acquisition and drives growth

Kevin O'Leary explained that when he invested in a company, he put his reputation on the line. However, he also helped reduce their customer acquisition costs significantly. The host asked Kevin to elaborate on how he achieved this. Kevin said that by investing in a company and publicly endorsing it, he helped build trust with potential customers.

He was very selective about the companies he invested in, only choosing those that offered products or services he believed in and used himself. Kevin gave an example of one of his investments, Brooklyn Dumplings.

He had discovered the company at a pop-up event in Abu Dhabi and was impressed by their unique idea of putting deli flavors inside dumpling wrappers.

"I love dumplings. I ran into this company at f1 in Abu Dhabi. They had a pop up. They took deli flavors from Brooklyn and put them inside the dumpling wrapper, like mac and cheese," said Kevin.

Kevin invested in the company and eventually became the owner. When the host asked if the company was profitable, Kevin replied that it wasn't yet, but they were expanding rapidly.

According to the Shark Tank investor, when a great concept in fast food was found, it was essential to expand quickly, as there was nothing proprietary about the idea, and competition could arise at any moment.

The host compared the constant change in brands at Sephora to the fast-paced nature of the beauty industry. Kevin O'Leary understood this concept, as he had experience with owning distribution channels and shelf space.

As Chef Wonderful on QVC, Shark Tank's Kevin reached 6.4 million people who watched him live.

"They have the distribution, they have the shelf space. Yeah, it's the same for me. I'm Chef Wonderful on QVC, 6.4 million women live watching that. When I go to QVC, I shoot all night, all day," said Kevin.

He argued that these numbers rivaled those of prime-time network shows and Kevin took advantage of various distribution channels to promote his products. On QVC, he showcased a range of Chef Wonderful products, including wine, sous vide machines, dumplings, and cheesecakes.

Kevin made it clear that he would ask for a significant piece of the company and then use his resources to expand the business.

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Shark Tank is currently airing its 16th season on ABC.