Mark Cuban says he’s leaving ABC’s long-running series Shark Tank. The question is, who could the network get to replace him?
Cuban has been a shark, or investor looking for new opportunities, on the series since season three. The program is currently in season 15, and the billionaire said on the All the Smoke podcast this week that he plans to leave after season 16.
ABC has not yet confirmed Cuban’s departure, which is still a while off.
Still, Cuban is by far the biggest name on the program, appearing alongside fellow sharks Daymond John, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran. His high-profile media presence and willingness to promote the show make him very valuable to ABC, which could have been caught off-guard by his off-the-cuff remark.
If Cuban does indeed, depart, the network will need an equally high-profile replacement to succeed him. It’s also an opportunity to add diversity to a largely homogenous panel of investors. Though the network is likely months from making any sort of decision, here are five possibilities to replace Cuban, whose net worth is $6.2 billion, according to Forbes.
1. Kylie Jenner
Why not dream big? One of the stars of The Kardashians on Hulu, Kylie Jenner is also a cosmetics mogul and model who is worth $680 million. While she’s not actually a billionaire, her clout and name could prove valuable to any of the Shark Tank inventors, and any network would love to have a Jenner on their program.
2. Aman Gupta
The breakout star of Shark Tank India, Aman Gupta co-founded boAT, a wearables company that has taken off very quickly. He’s known for his positive outlook and excitement for ideas pitched on the Indian version of the program, a trait he shares with the enthusiastic Cuban. Gupta would share a similar hype man type of role.
3. Tyler Perry
The billionaire who built an entertainment empire based on movies and TV shows has the showmanship and bluster to match the current set of sharks. Tyler Perry famously supports Black brands and would bring sharp business acumen to the table—but he’s already so busy with all his pursuits (he also acts in films and shows he doesn’t produce or write), it might be tough to get on his schedule.
4. Col. Jennifer Pritzker
The Pritzker family has been on Forbes’ list of wealthiest families for decades, and Col. Jennifer Pritzker has an interesting story. She was a Republican donor until a few years ago, when Pritzker, who is transgender, said she could not support Donald Trump (she famously explained, “why should I contribute to my own destruction?”). A savvy businesswoman devoted to philanthropy, she would bring great knowledge of nonprofits and the military, adding to the sharks’ dimensionality.
5. Camila Coelho
A Brazilian YouTube star with more than 10 million Instagram followers, Camila Coelho is a self-made millionaire whose matter-of-fact approach to beauty has earned her legions of fans worldwide. She launched both a beauty and a clothing line, and the influencer appeared in People magazine after giving birth to her first child, something she had long worried she couldn’t do because she has epilepsy. Her fun personality, gorgeous clothes and huge platform make her an excellent potential shark.
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