What I learned from analyzing 789 ‘Shark Tank’ pitches: Narcissists get funding if they’re not arrogant or defensive

The ‘flavor’ of narcissism driving an entrepreneur’s behavior can affect whether a startup wins funding from investors.

By: Paul Sanchez Ruiz, Iowa State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 6, 2026

Words: 746

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Paul Sanchez Ruiz, Iowa State University

Entrepreneurs displaying narcissistic behavior are better able to convince investors to give them money when their grandiosity comes across as confidence as opposed to defensiveness or arrogance.

That’s what we learned from watching 12 seasons of the popular reality TV show “Shark Tank” to better understand how an entrepreneur’s psychological profile affects their ability to secure funding.

My research focuses on how entrepreneurs respond to challenges, …

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