Shark Tank: How Khloe Kardashian Got Daymond John His Spot On The Show

Since the first season of "Shark Tank," famed FUBU founder and investor Daymond John has made a reputation of being "the people's shark," known for championing budding entrepreneurs who come from less fortunate backgrounds. It's impossible to imagine now, but Daymond John almost turned down being on the show — and we may have one of the Kardashian sisters to thank for seeing the value he would add to the series early on.

In a 2016 interview with "1010 Wins,"  John explained that he initially wasn't fond of the idea of giving up his money on a TV show he expected to be paid for. But he soon saw the benefit of expanding his portfolio, especially during the then-rampant 2008 financial crisis that had put several of his own clothing companies in jeopardy.

However, there was still one hurdle standing in John's way, that being his commitment to working on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" at the time. "I was representing all their product integration in their television shows," John said on "1010 Wins." "I had promised to go on one or two shows, and ABC said, 'You can't do any other show but ours.' And so I passed, initially." Thankfully, one of the famed family members saw the opportunity this would be for John and made a drastic call. "I think it was Khloe Kardashian [who] found out, and she basically fired me from the show because she said she'd never get in my way."

It's unlikely that John has regretted Khloe's decision, with some of his investments, such as Bombas, Bubba's-Q, and Mission Belt being among the show's most successful to date. Even today, the shark has only good things to say about the Kardashians.

Daymond John has plenty to thank Khloe Kardashian and her family for, especially for helping him get onto "Shark Tank." Likewise, John was a major force in helping launch the family's fame early on, and witnessing their turn into world-dominating super stars has been a joy for the investor to see unfold.

In a 2018 interview with Us Weekly, John shared that he and his former partners at Heatherette — a collaboration that ended up costing him millions — were responsible for giving Kim Kardashian her first runway show in 2007. This, combined with John's later role of integrating product placement on their show, helped boost both parties in the public's eye.

In the interview, John showers praise on the family's close-knit relationship and dedicated work ethic. But even then, similar to his initial pessimistic prediction of the lifespan of "Shark Tank," John had no idea that viewers would be as invested in the Kardashians' lives as they've proven to be. "I never thought that people would want to look at other people's lives," he said. "So I never thought that the world would take them like they did and I'm very happy because they deserve it. Very, very hardworking family and I just adore them." Who knows where John and the Kardashians would be today had they not crossed paths? The relationship obviously benefited all parties involved, but in the end, reality TV fans are the true winners.