Kevin O’Leary hits ‘Shark Tank’ founder with brutal question after he reveals $2M debt in intense TV moment
It's a dream for every entrepreneur to bag a good deal on ‘Shark Tank,’ but not everyone gets to live their dream. In an ever-evolving world of business, where confidence is key to getting a Shark on your side, it can also backfire. Something similar happened when Wisp entrepreneur Eben Dobson appeared on ‘Shark Tank’ with an ask of $500,000 for a 10% stake of his company. He introduced his product as a “revolutionary floor cleaning system” that will “disrupt a category that hasn’t changed in centuries: sweeping.” During the pitch, he explained, “We have re-engineered the broom and the dustpan to make it more efficient.”
Dobson then demonstrated how the regular broom and dustpan work as opposed to Wisp, which is designed for one-handed use, featuring a pulling motion and bristles angled at 90 degrees to the floor. This unique design creates a perfect seal with the surface. The dustpan also had a suction system that was activated with a foot to suck in the debris, making sweeping easier than ever before. Though the Sharks were impressed with the product, things took a dramatic turn when Kevin O’Leary decided to take a deep dive into the numbers. He asked Dobson, “Have you sold anything?” to which Dobson replied promptly, “We have over $3.3 million in sales in lifetime.”
O’Leary then asked what profit his company made last year. Dobson honestly replied that they didn’t, and he also revealed that he’s sunk $2.1 million of his own money into the business, and he lost $600,000 the previous year. His lifetime profits were just $50,000, and he had $300,000 worth of inventory. When asked why he got so much inventory, he answered that in 2016, the product went viral on social media and was completely sold out, which pushed him to over-prepare for the next round. Barbara Corcoran gave him an “A” for his effort but an “F” for poor business execution, and was the first one to opt out. O’Leary was the next to give his verdict. While he believed in the product, he had no faith in its founder.
He told Debson, “Year after year after year, you have made no money. That’s very depressing.” He added, “The question is, do you need adult supervision?” He then made the offer for $50,000 for 50% of the company, stating that, “I don’t like to lose $500,000.” But Debson further blew the deal when he said that he was $250,000 in debt and had 22 investors, shocking all the Sharks. But Mr. Wonderful still stayed on the offer, while Lori Greiner also offered help with making the sales, but without investing any money. At first, Debson accepted the deal with O’Leary, but when he realized he was going to lose out on Greiner’s offer, he asked O’Leary, “Is there anything you could add to that?
This offended O’Leary, who also eventually opted out, and Debson walked off with no deal, saying to the camera, “I didn’t have the ability to make the decision that quickly.” He added, “But I am not going anywhere.” Fast forward a few years, Debson did what he said, and according to Shark Tank Recap, as of 2025, Wisp’s turned the tables and is enjoying a net worth of $1.5 million.
