The Shark Tank star Lori Greiner wanted Oprah Winfrey to replace Mark Cuban after he announced his exit from the show last year. The billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner joined the show in its second season and has been a regular since Season 3.
However, he announced his plans to leave the reality TV show after the upcoming season and will be replaced by Daniel Lubetzky starting in Season 17. But before the KIND Snacks Founder secured a regular spot on the panel, Greiner had her sights set on Winfrey for years, hoping the iconic talk show host would join the business reality show.
Lori Greiner Wanted Oprah Winfrey to Replace Mark Cuban in Shark Tank
In November 2023, Mark Cuban shared his plans to quit Shark Tank after Season 16 during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast. Having been part of the show for over a decade, Cuban said it was simply time to move on.
This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year is gonna be my last year… So I got one more year to go.
Reflecting on his impending departure, Lori Greiner, who joined the show one year after Cuban, shared that while they still had one more season together, she was already thinking about potential replacements.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Greiner expressed her long-time desire to see Oprah Winfrey join the show. “I’ve wanted Oprah for years!” she said before adding, “So what can I say? Let’s manifest that! Yes, world, manifest that!”
While her entrepreneurial success and media influence would have certainly made Winfrey an interesting addition, the reality TV show has found Cuban’s replacement in Daniel Lubetzky. who has appeared as a guest shark for the last five seasons on the reality TV show.
Shark Tank Names Daniel Lubetzky as First New Regular Investor
Daniel Lubetzky, who joined the business reality TV series Shark Tank in Season 11, has been promoted to a full-time regular shark for Season 16 and will take over for Mark Cuban in future seasons.
He will be joining the panel of sharks alongside Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary, for the upcoming season.
After the announcement, Lubetzky expressed his gratitude on Instagram, celebrating his role as the first new regular investor on Shark Tank in over a decade.
It’s an honor to be part of a production that continues to educate, entertain, and unite Americans behind the spirit of building together. I am so excited to be part of this fun, hilarious, exceptionally smart cast and crew.
Throughout his previous appearances on the show, Lubetzky’s investments included Yellow Leaf Hammocks, FitFighter, Tandm Surf, Toast-It, and HummViewer.
He also expressed his eagerness to collaborate with entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and share the platform that would allow them to bring their business ideas to life.
Shark Tank Season 16 will premiere on October 16, 2024 on ABC.
Previous seasons of Shark Tank are available to watch on Hulu.
