Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Discloses Crypto Holdings at 11% of Portfolio

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, sometimes referred to as Mr. Wonderful, has provided details on his bitcoin holdings, stating that they currently make up about 11% of all of his investments. The businessman stressed that he would rather personally own cryptocurrency than invest in spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) because of the costs involved.

In an interview with The Street, O’Leary expressed skepticism towards spot bitcoin ETFs, stating, “I would never do that. Why would I pay the fees?” There’s no added value to an ETF. I just own the coin directly. He underscored the absence of added value in ETFs compared to owning crypto assets directly. Instead, he opts to hold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in his portfolio. “I use it as a 5% weighting right beside gold at a 5% weighting, and I trim it every quarter based on its appreciation or decline of value because it’s liquid.”

Crypto vs. Gold

O’Leary outlined his investment strategy, allocating 5% of his portfolio to both bitcoin and gold. He employs a disciplined approach, adjusting his crypto holdings quarterly based on market performance. Emphasizing the versatility of cryptocurrencies, he equated their role to that of alternative assets like gold, aiming for a balanced investment profile.

Furthermore, O’Leary disclosed his ownership of various cryptocurrencies beyond bitcoin, including hedera (HBAR), solana (SOL), and polygon (MATIC), citing their potential for diverse applications. He said, “You don’t need to put bet the farm on bitcoin, but why not use it the same way you would for an alternative asset like gold? So gold’s 5%, bitcoin’s 5%.” He revealed that he also owns several other cryptocurrencies, including hedera (HBAR), solana (SOL), and polygon (MATIC). Moreover, he said he owns “a lot of other different technologies” 

With his crypto holdings now constituting approximately 11% of his investment portfolio, O’Leary underscores the evolving landscape of digital assets in mainstream finance.