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‘Shark Tank’ founders pitched flushable wipes — Mark Cuban passed until one thing got him to invest $300K

"I just don't see me as a wipes kind of guy, I'm sorry," Mark Cuban said after the pitch.

'Shark Tank' investors usually know exactly what they’re looking for when putting their money on the line. But even the Sharks pass on products, sometimes for personal or financial reasons. On Season 7 of ‘Shark Tank,’ Sean Riley, Ryan Meegan, and Jeff Klimkowski, known as 'the Dudes,' pitched flushable wipes designed specifically for men. Mark Cuban initially passed on the pitch and dropped out. But in a last-minute twist, Cuban changed his mind and offered them a major deal.

In the episode, the three 'Dudes' were seeking $300,000 in exchange for 10% of their company. During their pitch, Riley said, "Sharks, are you still wiping the old-fashioned way with the toilet paper? If so, you're a chump, and your ass probably hates you for it. But hey, what's a dude to do? You could try some baby wipes, but we are not babies, we're dudes." Soon after, Meegan chimed in, "So we created the award-winning Dude Wipes, the very first wipes for, well, dudes. They're flushable, biodegradable, have soothing aloe, and are the answer to every dude's prayers."

The trio then passed out samples to the Sharks. When asked about the sales, Klimkowski shared, "So year to date, we have $300,000, but we're projecting $1.5 million for this year because we just landed a 2 to 3 million-dollar contract to go nationwide with Kroger." They said the product retails for $6.49, with 40% margins in stores and 60% online.

Then, Cuban was the first Shark to drop out, saying, "Guys, look, I like what you're doing, I think you'll be successful, but I've got two problems. I just don't see myself as a wipes kind of guy, I'm sorry. Second, I think you're underestimating the amount of marketing dollars it's going to take to really open up a new category. I don't think it's a ride that I can take for those reasons, I'm out." Furthermore, Barbara Corcoran followed Cuban’s lead and said, "Let me tell you what I think, I haven't had my husband step foot in a toilet paper aisle since I married him. Men don't shop for toilet paper for the most part, their wives do, so I think you have to sell it to the wife. I'm not sure they're going to buy it, especially with the advanced knowledge that the price on these dude wipes is exactly double what they paid for the baby wipes, so I wish you luck, but they're not familiar."

Lori Greiner dropped out, too, saying their valuation didn’t make sense. On the other hand, Robert Herjavec made an offer of $300,000 for 25% equity. Kevin O'Leary made the same offer to the dudes. Following that, Riley, Meegan, and Klimkowski asked the two Sharks if they would agree to a joint deal, which they declined. While talking about O'Leary's offer, Cuban quipped, “DUDE, he’s trying to wipe you out!” At the last second, Cuban jumped back in and offered $300,000 for 25%, and they took it.