HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Kevin O’Leary baffles ‘Shark Tank’ judges with creepy bat folklore before striking one of his weirdest deals

The eco-friendly pitch had the Sharks cringing, but one of them saw dollar signs in the dark

Kevin O’Leary has never been afraid to live up to his Mr. Wonderful nickname on ‘Shark Tank’, though entrepreneurs who have pitched in front of him would probably say that it’s a little ironic. He’s known as the investor who doesn’t sugarcoat his thoughts, cuts straight to the numbers, and rejects any deal that doesn’t scream profitability. But O’Leary also has a reputation for occasionally betting big on ideas that no one else dares to touch. One such gamble came in the form of a company that centered its business model on bats; not baseball bats, but real, winged mammals. As per Market Realist, the company, BatBNB, walked into the tank with one of the most unusual product demonstrations the show has ever seen.

Founders Harrison Broadhurst and Chris Rannefors wanted to convince the Sharks that the creatures people often run from in fear were actually nature’s most underrated pest-control experts. Their solution was a line of wooden bat houses designed to blend into backyards while giving bats a safe and sustainable home. According to the entrepreneurs, one BatBNB structure could comfortably house between 80 and 100 bats, each capable of eating thousands of bugs in a single night. On paper, the business had an eco-friendly appeal, promoting natural pest control over chemical sprays.

But the execution wasn’t going to be easy, and the reactions from the Sharks proved that. Lori Greiner recoiled almost immediately at the thought of hundreds of bats living just a few feet from someone’s porch. She admitted the pitch gave her the chills and flat-out declared it wasn’t something she could get behind. Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec, meanwhile, acknowledged the creativity but doubted whether mainstream consumers would ever be convinced to deliberately set up bats in their yards. Daymond John agreed, noting that the stigma surrounding bats would be nearly impossible to overcome. Just when it seemed like BatBNB was flying straight into a wall, O’Leary turned the tide. Unlike his fellow Sharks, he leaned forward with genuine curiosity.

Not only did he say he liked the idea, but he also rattled off an impressive amount of knowledge about bats. He recalled a bizarre old folklore: if someone wanted to avoid falling asleep, they had to cut off a bat’s head, place it in a bag, and keep it beside their left arm at night. The strange tidbit left the panel both amused and slightly bewildered. The founders doubled down on their message by bringing a live rescue bat onto the set, hoping to prove that the animals were more misunderstood than menacing. While the move didn’t win over Greiner or the others, it didn’t deter O’Leary either. He saw potential in carving out a niche market with eco-conscious homeowners, and he was willing to put his money on the line.

Of course, an O’Leary deal never comes without a hefty price tag. He offered to invest but demanded a full one-third ownership of the company. Harrison and Chris tried to negotiate him down to 25%, hoping to keep more equity in their business, but O’Leary wasn’t interested in budging, as seen on the Shark Tank Recap. In the end, the entrepreneurs agreed to his terms, shaking hands with the one Shark who saw value in a product most investors would consider far too unconventional. The pitch ended on a playful note. The BatBNB team cheekily asked if O’Leary would don a Batman suit to celebrate the deal. To everyone’s delight, he agreed, proving that even the sharpest negotiator on the panel has a flair for theatrics when the occasion calls for it.