The ABC show Shark Tank had its season opener on Friday evening. The basic concept of the show is budding entrepreneurs showcase their inventions or business ideas to a group of "sharks," or investors, hoping to get financial backing. Mark Cuban is one of those sharks.
The Beer Buckle (or Bev Buckle) is a way to hang on to your favorite canned or bottled beverage without having to use your hands. It's a large belt buckle with a plate that can be lowered to hold your beer, which is then secured by a wire ring. The faceplate of the buckle can have any brand or logo fashioned on it.
Inventor of the Bev Buckle, Jay Kriner, is an "Unexploded Ordinance Technician" (think Hurt Locker) by trade. Who knew, right? Kriner says there are millions of unexploded bombs all over the world, which is a little distracting, but the show must go on. That does, however, reinforce the whole concept of "Necessity is the mother of invention." When you're holding wire cutters and a bomb, you need to hold a beer, but you can't.
Kriner was asking for a $50,000 investment in exchange for 10 percent in his company. Cuban passed. He questioned Kriner's ability to run a company. Still, the Cubes shutdown was a little surprising considering this picture and this one too, and that time he saved this thing because it was basically one big party he didn't want to miss.
Fellow shark Barbara Corcoran stepped up to the plate with the $50,000 in exchange for 51% of the company. As Kriner was walking away, Corcoran said, "He's gonna be rich." I believe her.
