Understanding Robert Herjavec’s Compensation on Shark Tank
Robert Herjavec, a prominent investor on Shark Tank, has earned accolades for building and nurturing successful enterprises. For more than 15 years, he has consistently supported numerous entrepreneurs, empowering them to scale their businesses and achieve substantial profitability. This naturally raises the intriguing inquiry: does Herjavec receive payment for his contributions to the show?
Insights from Robert Herjavec on Compensation
In a recent conversation with Grant Cardone at 10X Studios on February 22, Herjavec clarified how compensation works for the Sharks. He disclosed that all investors on Shark Tank receive equal payment for their roles. Interestingly, he initially went unaware of this arrangement during his first two years on the show.
“They do pay us. Everybody gets paid the same amount. It’s going to make me sound incredibly full of myself; I didn’t realize we were getting paid for the first two years. So we get paid a lot for a reality TV star. But here’s the difference, reality TV people don’t get residuals and [neither do we].”
Navigating the Reality TV Landscape
During the interview, Cardone probed Herjavec’s terminology, questioning why he described Shark Tank as a “reality TV”show. Herjavec explained that this classification aligns with Emmy standards.
Shark Tank’s Emmy Achievements and Experiences
When prompted about the show’s accolades, Herjavec revealed that Shark Tank has garnered four Emmy Awards, which he described as a thrilling experience. He reminisced about their first Emmy nomination where excitement filled the air as all five Sharks attended the ceremony with high hopes, only to be bested by a fishing-themed reality show.
“Four. It’s very cool. First time we got nominated for an Emmy, we were so excited. All five of us went to the show. We all got done up. We did the red carpet. We’re like, ‘We’re gonna win that Emmy’. And then we lost to a fishing show where they go [out and fish]. That’s real reality and the guy sitting in front of us is like, ‘Yeah, Bob couldn’t be here because he died on the boat and we were like ‘Woah.'”
He humorously noted how after their initial defeat, they were nominated once more but lost again. Deciding to skip the ceremony for their third nomination, they were pleasantly surprised to learn they had won, albeit without anyone present to accept the award.
Personal Connections and Ambitions
In a more personal segment of the interview, Cardone inquired whether Herjavec’s parents had the opportunity to see him on television. He shared that his father had passed away before his debut in the TV realm, but his mother witnessed the beginnings of his career on the Canadian series Dragons’ Den.
Reflecting on his time with Dragons’ Den, Herjavec recalled how the production team peppered the investors with questions about their motivations for pursuing fame. He cheekily replied that his aspiration was to compete on the famed reality show Dancing with the Stars, a promise he made to his mother as it was her favorite program.
Catch Shark Tank Season 16
Fans can watch new episodes of Shark Tank Season 16 airing every Friday on ABC.