ABC/Patrick Ecclesine(NEW YORK) — On Friday’s episode of ABC’s Shark Tank, the hit show’s investors — Mark Cuban, Daymon John, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, and Robert Herjavek — cross a major milestone: the 100 millionth dollar invested in entrepreneurs’ ideas since the show began.
Following the episode, a special installment of 20/20 will highlight the show’s success, and also feature exclusive interviews with the sharks, and follow-ups about the reality show’s biggest deals.
Daymon John, who fronts the multi-million dollar lifestyle brand FUBU, explained to ABC Radio that the $100 million mark is a “landmark,” adding that Shark Tank has created “probably 10,000 jobs, I don’t know how many millionaires.”
“More importantly, it showed people that the American Dream of believing in entrepreneurs and supporting each other it’s alive and we love it,” John explained. “[W]e’re just happy to be a part of it, and hopefully we’ll get to a billion!”
For his part, O’Leary was surprised by both the show’s eight-season-long success, but also its global reach: the formula has been spun off to other countries.
“Shark Tank‘s not just a phenomenal, you know, explosion in America,” O’Leary notes. “It’s in Canada, it’s in Finland, it’s in Portugal, it’s in England! I mean, when I travel internationally, people say to me, “You’re the guy from Shark Tank!” And I go, “How do you know Shark Tank?” Oh, we have it on here in Finland! So it’s become a global phenomenon.”
Shark Tank airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time. 20/20‘s “Shark Tank: The Road to $100 Million,” airs directly after.
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