Barbara Corcoran thought ‘Shark Tank’ co-star Mark Cuban was a bellboy for a while

Businesswoman Barbara Corcoran has recalled her awkward first meeting with Shark Tank co-star and billionaire, Mark Cuban, while on set of the reality show.

The 73-year-old entrepreneur, who boasts one million followers on TikTok, shared with her followers on Thursday the “most embarrassing moment” she had while filming the ABC show. “Get ready with me while I tell you my most embarrassing moment on Shark Tank,” Corcoran began the candid video, as her makeup artist glammed her face.

The Corcoran Group founder recalled the incident took place when she was rushing to Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California to begin shooting her fourth season of Shark Tank – a popular reality show in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their products to a team of successful business titans in order to invest in their company.

“When I jumped in the van, I see this guy sitting in the back seat and I was surprised because I always had the van to myself,” said Corcoran, as her makeup artist contoured her face.

“I had three big pieces of luggage so I decided to ask him: ‘Hey, do you mind helping me put my luggage in the back of the van?’” she recalled, to which Cuban replied: “Yes, ma’am.”

When they arrived on the set, Corcoran pointed out her trailer and asked Cuban if he could bring her bags inside the trailer. “He didn’t mind,” she noted. “He just said: ‘Yes, ma’am.’”

Two hours later, Corcoran walked onto the set of Shark Tank when she took her seat in the iconic Shark Tank chair, only to realise that the so-called bellboy was actually her new co-star.

“I look at the guy next to me, and it’s the luggage guy sitting in the seat next to me,” she told her TikTok followers. “So I said to him: ‘What are you doing here?’”

“He said: ‘I’m Mark Cuban. Nice to meet you,” she recalled.

Corcoran, who has a net worth of more than $100m, first made her fortune when she founded her own real estate firm – The Corcoran Group – in 1980. In 2001, she sold the company to National Realty Trust for $66m.

She then joined the reality series Shark Tank in 2009 as one of the show’s original investors, and has since appeared in all 13 seasons. As of January 2023, Corcoran has made 130 deals with a total of $5,465,000 invested on the show.

Since then, Corcoran has gained renewed fame on TikTok, where she gives fans a glimpse into her career in real estate. Earlier this month, Corcoran went viral when she revealed how she made $1m in just one day.