Barbara Corcoran Names the ‘Shark Tank’ Deal That Got Her $468 Million

Dan Clarendon June 25, 2023, 11:52 am

Barbara Corcoran of 'Shark Tank' — Christopher Willard/ABC

Investor Barbara Corcoran has made countless deals on Shark Tank, but only one has earned the 74-year-old nearly a half billion dollars.

“That would have to be [the] Comfy,” Corcoran told podcaster Daniel Mac after he asked about her most profitable investment from the ABC reality show. “They made me $468 million dollars in three years. … I took the deal myself. I got a third of the business for, I think, $50,000. Nobody wanted it.”

Entrepreneurs Brian and Michael Speciale — a.k.a. The Speciale Brothers — pitched The Original Comfy — a sweatshirt-blanket hybrid — during Season 9’s holiday-themed Shark Tank episode in 2017.

https://www.tiktok.com/@thedanielmacshow/video/7247546972930903339

“’Tis the season of the Comfy / Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la,” they sang. “It’s the blanket that’s a sweatshirt / Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la / Stay warm and cozy, it’s the Comfy / The perfect gift for anyone on your list / Get one now before they’re all gone / Fa-la-la-la-la, it’s Comfy time.”

Much like the Comfy’s sherpa-fabric interior, Corcoran’s memory is a little fuzzy. Fellow Shark Tankshark Robert Herjavec also wanted in on the product, but he drove a harder bargain, offering the Speciales $50,000 for a 50-percent stake in their business.

Corcoran underbid him, extending $50,000 in exchange for a 30-percent stake, and the brothers took her up on the offer.

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“That’s a good investment,” Corcoran observed on The Daniel Mac Podcast, reflecting on a deal gave her a 9,360x return. “But don’t worry. I’ve lost on so many others.”

Shark Tank’s 15th season will air Fridays this fall at 8/7c as part of ABC’s reality-centric (and thus strike-proof) programming lineup, though the network hasn’t announced a return date for the Emmy-winning series. Reruns of the show — featuring Corcoran, Herjavec, and fellow sharks Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, Lori Greiner — air multiple times a week on CNBC.

Shark Tank, Season 15 Premiere, TBD, ABC