Top 10 Times the Shark Tank Panel Got Pissed

There are many creative ways that you can go about insulting somebody. Words, gestures, actions - they all get the point across. In this particular case, however, Mark Cuban combines all three to really hammer home his dislike for these entrepreneurs and their idea. Rolodoc is a system that promises to revolutionize communication between doctor and patient. Unfortunately, the pitch leaves the sharks thoroughly underwhelmed, across the board. Mark, for his part, seems personally offended by the whole thing. And so he goes the extra mile (okay… it’s more like 10 feet) by actually getting up, walking over to the entrepreneurs, and shaking their hands as he gives them his scathing review.

Skincare is big business, but the sharks are given little reason here to believe that the Sunscreen Mist entrepreneurs are the ones to make waves in the industry. It’s tempting to tear this pitch apart because it is just so poorly handled, but we’re going to try to stay focused on the freakout itself. And really, Mark Cuban says it all. As he is wont to do, Cuban totally goes off the deep end. He’s less concerned with the shortcomings of the business itself (which are many) and winds up fixating on the failings of the entrepreneurs and the way they avoid answering questions. It was a bad pitch, sure, but Mark’s reaction is so strong that it arguably overshadows all else.

In defense of the sharks, we think this particular freak out was actually warranted! After receiving an offer, SCOTTeVEST founder and CEO Scott Jordan makes a show of calling Steve Wozniak to get a second opinion. After speaking with the Apple co-founder, he gets weirdly aggressive and starts pointing and yelling at the sharks. He even goes so far as to tell them that they’re out . . . which goes about as well as you’d expect. Jordan seemingly forgets that it’s the person doing the pitch who needs the sharks, not the other way around. Daymond John jokingly threatens to sue, while Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary both get heated. Even the usually calm Robert Herjavec can’t help but react to Jordan’s rude behavior.

Yunha Kim knows her way around a pitch, and the Simple Habit purveyor has the business knowledge and experience to speak the same language as the sharks. Unfortunately, her distinction between the sharks, other investors and celebrity influencers rubs Daymond John and Mark Cuban the wrong way, and they quickly turn on her, causing the entire panel to devolve. Daymond absolutely tears into Kim, essentially calling out her privilege, while Cuban takes things too far and labels Kim a “gold digger”. Sir Richard Branson is so frustrated by their behavior, he actually pours water on Mark Cuban! Swim with sharks, you risk getting wet.

If the sharks don’t like the product or service you’re selling, you’re not going to get a deal. But so long as you’re polite, there’s a decent chance you’ll make it out of there with your dignity. If, however, they also find a reason to not like you,well… that’s a different story. Tycoon Real Estate winds up being a “no” for the sharks, with even the nicer investors throwing around terms like “irresponsible”, “scary”, “unfair” and “uncomfortable”. Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary, however, go a step further and make it personal. Mr. Wonderful asks founder Aaron McDaniel if he has a criminal record; that is… before making him an offer. Cuban, for his part, makes no effort to hide his disdain for McDaniel or his business model.

We’ve seen a lot of rude behavior from the sharks so far. But actually going so far as to insult an entrepreneur with an expletive? Welcome to the top 5! In the season 7 finale, Mr. Wonderful really earns his ironic nickname when he curses out Pavlok creator Maneesh Sethi. Of course, this was also some remarkably rude behavior on the part of the entrepreneur, so really, this is just one big trainwreck. When Sethi shuts down working with O’Leary regardless of the deal, the segment is brought to a screeching halt. As far as freaks outs go, this might be #5, but it ranks substantially higher in terms of awkward Shark Tank moments. Now that’s what we call a shocking pitch.

The sharks are not big fans of pseudoscience. But rarely have they been quite so explicit in calling out what they deem to be, as Mark Cuban labels the Esso Watch, “scams”. All of the sharks here express a reluctance to invest, given the lack of scientific data to back up entrepreneur Ryan Naylor’s product. But Cuban really tears into both him and the watches, labelling the entire business a joke. But wait, it gets worse. Though some of the other sharks seem hesitant to get on Mark’s level, they soon find another reason to criticize Naylor, calling him out for not defending his business more aggressively in the face of Cuban’s onslaught. Ouch!

This product manages to crack the top 3 on our list despite it actually securing a deal. Plenty of pitches have gotten a rise out of the sharks over the years, but rarely has one left them so divided - and passionately so. Scholly helps students identify and apply for scholarships, a concept which everyone can agree has merit. Sure enough, co-founder Christopher Gray lands himself not one, but two investors. After he leaves the room however, it’s on! The issue is, a number of the sharks are upset as to how the deal was handled. They can’t decide if Scholly is a business or charity, and the argument soon evolves into a larger one about the role of business and social responsibility.

Pitched as a revolutionary solution for lighting up bicycles at night (and saving lives in the process), Revolights successfully landed itself a deal. Before entrepreneur Kent Frankovich can get very far into his pitch, all of the sharks express obvious interest, and are clearly impressed by both the innovative tech and the potential of Frankovich’s business. Soon, the deals are flying in from all sides. Mark Cuban however, remains strangely silent, only to jump in at the last minute and cast doubt over everything about Frankovich, his business and his intentions. Cuban’s logic? The young entrepreneur is either dumb or dishonest. It’s a scathing criticism that seems to come out of nowhere. Thankfully, Frankovich navigates Cuban’s freakout with relative grace.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Real Skinny

Business Senseless

Question Mark

Value Neutralized

Slick Willy

Chris Sacca and Mark Cuban have a habit of butting heads. Remember their conflict over Brightwheel that had Daymond Johnson chanting “fight” like it was a schoolyard brawl? Well, that was just a minor skirmish compared to the shark battle that ensued a season later The pitch in question is for a smart technology lockbox that can be opened with a smartphone. Cuban, along with a few of the other sharks, sees its potential, but Sacca is adamant that it already exists, or that established companies are better positioned to profit. The debate doesn’t just get heated, it gets downright ugly, with Sacca going so far as to question how Mark Cuban ever succeeded in business.