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ABC’s hit show Shark Tank has invited a plethora of guest investors on the program. Business icons as well as celebrities have ventured into the tank to possibly partner with aspiring entrepreneurs. Reality star Bethenny Frankel, actor Ashton Kutcher, and basketball legend Charles Barkley are just a few top names that have tried swimming with the sharks.

In 2017, baseball icon Alex Rodriguez decided to dip his toe in the money-making tank. Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, who has been on the show since it premiered in 2009, commented on having the superstar athlete on the panel.

“Shark Tank’s” Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Alex Rodriguez, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban | Mitch Haaseth/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Partnered with Cuban

Rodriguez joined the Shark Tank panel in Seasons 9 and 10. He chose to partner with Mark Cuban on a company pitched by Chris Gronkowski called Ice Shaker, which sells insulated bottles used to mix up protein shakes. The start-up was owned by Gronkowski and his brothers, one of whom is Rob Gronkowski of New England Patriots fame.

According to CNBC, Cuban and Rodriguez invested $150,000 for a 15% stake in Ice Shaker. Rodriguez was apparently enjoying the partnership when he spoke to CNBC in 2018. “They have five brothers, [Cuban and I] think now we’re like seven brothers having this great company, and we’re having a great time,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully, sometime in the next few years we have a nice exit.”

Corcoran’s comments

Real estate icon Barbara Corcoran quickly became a fan of Rodriguez, telling Us Weekly in July that she found it “really hard to concentrate” when he was on the show.

“You have A-rod, all [6-foot-3] of him sitting next to you,” Corcoran said of the baseball star. “As every entrepreneur walks onto the set, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, God, I hope I can invest with A-Rod on this one.’ Next one: ‘I hope I can invest with A-Rod on this one.’”

Corcoran also had an opinion on A-rod’s fiancé, superstar Jennifer Lopez, crediting the singer-actress for her strong presence. “I compliment her when I say she’s intimidating,” the Shark Tank star said. “I don’t mean in any regard that she’s not nice in any way. What I mean by that is she has self-power. She created her own power in herself, and it’s [palpable]. … Without even seeing who’s coming in the room, you feel something.”

Off camera partnership

For now, Rodriguez isn’t scheduled to be back in the tank anytime soon. With rumors swirling that the baseball legend is getting his own show on NBC, his time on Shark Tank is apparently over.

He clearly made an impression on Corcoran, and not just for his physical stature. The two ended up joining forces for some real estate deals in New York City. “Our first investment was a sweetheart deal, and we jumped at it,“ Corcoran said in June, according to the New York Post. “It took almost six months to negotiate, but Alex is incredible with this stuff. I thought he just hit balls, but he runs numbers.”

Corcoran credited the former New York Yankee on his business acumen and exceptionally strong sense of self. “Rodriguez is a businessman through and through,” the Shark Tank star said. “He’s got a big ego. I thought I had an ego, but I look like a mini-me next to him in the ego department. So I let him decide whether it’s a good building, even though before I show it to him I already know it’s great. I let him decide, it’s his decision.”

Watch ABC’s Shark Tank on Sunday nights!

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