Barbara Corcoran Reveals She’s the Only ‘Shark Tank’ Star Who Doesn’t Fly 1st Class (2024)
In a cast of millionaires and billionaires, Barbara Corcoran is proud to be the most frugal Shark Tank star.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t have a jet or fly first class,” Corcoran, 74, exclusively told Us Weekly. “I’m too cheap to pay the price.”
Corcoran, who has an estimated net worth of $100 million as of 2023, has built her fortune through New York City real estate and has appeared in all 15 seasons of the hit ABC show.
“Barbara just keeps it close to the vest, does her thing, and that’s it,” her Shark Tank costar Mark Cuban added. Cuban, 65, joined the billionaire club when Yahoo acquired his company in 1999. His net worth is now estimated at upwards of $6.2 billion.
While Cuban has sat alongside Corcoran in the “Shark Tank” since the series premiere in 2009, he announced last month that he would be leaving the show after season 16. Sharing that “it’s time” for him to move on during an interview on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Cuban reflected on the importance the show has had for him and the audience.
“I love it because it sends the message [that] the American dream is alive and well,” he explained. “I feel like in doing Shark Tank all these years, we’ve trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs that if somebody can come from Iowa or Sacramento or wherever, and show up on the carpet of Shark Tank and show their business and get a deal, it’s going to inspire generations of kids. That’s what happens, right?”
Cuban’s admiration of fellow Shark Corcoran is definitely reciprocated. Corcoran was not shy about singing Cuban’s praises to Us.
“Mark has an amazing ability to find joy in a lot of things,” Corcoran said, admitting that Cuban is the most fun Shark on a night out. “I’ve been with Mark after he lost a basketball game that was so important to him, he looked like he was going to go into a hole crying. And five minutes later, he’s at a bar with us, having a drink and having the time of his life. He’s wonderful.”
Cuban has been a majority stake owner of the Dallas Mavericks since January 2000, but it was reported last month that the billionaire plans on selling his share. According to The Athletic and Stadium NBA Insider Shams Charani, Cuban is selling his share “for valuation in [the] range of $3.5 billion.” The deal will reportedly allow Cuban to keep “shares in [the] team and full control of basketball operations.”
To hear more Shark Tank cast secrets from Corcoran, Cuban and castmates Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary, watch the exclusive video above.
“I never buy a first-class plane ticket,” she told GOBankingRates
GOBankingRates
GOBankingRates.com is a personal finance news and features website dedicated to helping visitors Live Richer™. From tips on saving money to investing for retirement or finding a good interest rate, GOBankingRates helps turn financial goals into milestones and money dreams into realities.
. “I feel pretentious and can't justify the extra expense, so I travel coach.” However, Corcoran still elevates her travel experience affordably. “I always pack a little picnic with a pretty cloth napkin, cheeses, salami, crackers and fruit,” she said.
Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran says her 'painful' battle with dyslexia made her the millionaire real estate mogul she is today: 'It's the whole reason I succeeded' The real estate mogul thinks having dyslexia made her more adept at brushing off failure.
She's still practicing this frugal behavior today. In 2023, Corcoran told Us Weekly she's “the only one who doesn't have a jet or fly first class” in the “Shark Tank” cast.
Corcoran also hosted podcasts “888-Barbara,” “Business Unusual with Barbara” and “The Millionaire Broker with Barbara Corcoran.” Through her real estate company, investments, speaking engagements and appearance on “Shark Tank,” Corcoran has a net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Corcoran is a motivational and inspirational speaker. She is a frequent small business and real estate contributor on every major network. Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past eleven seasons on ABC's four-time Emmy award winning show, Shark Tank, investing in over 100 businesses to date.
Because of the high-risk nature of investing, the 74-year-old said she only pulls out her wallet for a select few “Shark Tank” pitches. She's seldom impressed by products and services, but can be wooed by the business owners themselves, she added. “The No. 1 trait I'm looking for [is] ambition,” Corcoran said.
In 2017, Corcoran's Shark Tank deal with The Comfy, an oversized wearable blanket, turned her $50,000 investment into $468 million. Formerly known as Barbara Corcoran Venture Partners, today Forefront Venture Partners invests in high-growth, revenue-generating, early-stage companies.
“I never buy a first-class plane ticket,” she told GOBankingRates. “I feel pretentious and can't justify the extra expense, so I travel coach.” However, Corcoran still elevates her travel experience affordably. “I always pack a little picnic with a pretty cloth napkin, cheeses, salami, crackers and fruit,” she said.
With each private jet ascent, Daymond charts a course in calculated business acumen, offering an arsenal of CEO wisdom that transforms the ordinary into extraordinary.
Corcoran is definitely a meat eater—her fridge drawer is full of protein options, including bacon and chicken breasts, plus cheeseboard options like Vermont Creamery goat cheese. She also keeps her fridge door full of classic condiments, like soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, olives and capers.
Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group.
Barbara Corcoran is married to her “partner in crime,” her husband, Bill Higgins. The Shark Tank investor, TV personality and real estate mogul met Higgins — a retired Navy captain who, at the time, had his own real estate business — at a conference in 1981.
Instead, Corcoran sees her dyslexia as a window to be both more creative and more competitive. Her dyslexia isn't a crutch, but a gift, and she's thankful for the ability to use her disability as a window to success.
They later adopted another child, a daughter named Kate. Speaking about her adoption journey to Inc, Barbara joked: "Attracting moms who wanted to give you their baby was exactly the same as writing a good real estate ad."
Lori and Dan do not have children. Lori is dedicated to her career as an entrepreneur and believes that involving family, like her husband, in her business is one of the keys to her success. “The truth is you should try to involve your family in your business,” she told Young Hollywood in 2016. “That's what I think.
Barbara Corcoran isn't done with cosmetic surgery. The Shark Tank star, 75, revealed during an interview with Page Six, published on Friday, May 3, that she had a third facelift and is hoping to have another one done in the future. “I'm hoping to have a fourth [facelift] on my 85th birthday,” Corcoran said.
A study by Richard Branson's Virgin Group also found that 35% of successful entrepreneurs in the United States had dyslexia. This percentage is much higher than the 10% to 15% of people who have dyslexia in the general population.
Case in point: Half of Shark Tank's six judges have dyslexia. Corcoran's fellow cast members Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary have both talked about their own experiences with the condition.
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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