Daymond John Says He Doesn’t Watch ‘Shark Tank’

Viewers of Shark Tank might have learned something new about Daymond John if they read this weekend’s New York Times piece on the business mogul’s Sunday routine. It turns out he spends time in nature, socializes with loved ones, and watches television — but not the reality program for which he’s so widely known. Instead of watching Shark Tank, John prefers a classic New York-set drama starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

That’s right — Daymond John watches Sex and the City, if anything, fearing he’ll get hooked on any new programs if he tunes in. So when he’s not watching classic gangster or silly movies, he’s catching up on the old escapades of Carrie Bradshaw and her crew of women. As for the show in which he stars, the experience is far too real for the man who knows how some of the deals turn out, on-screen and after the cameras go dark.

“I don’t think I’ve watched a new television show in six, seven years. I don’t even watch ‘Shark Tank.’ It’s intense — I may be thinking about how much money I may have lost on that deal. If I go and get hooked on ‘Black Is the New Whatever’ or the zombie thing — I can’t afford to get hooked. I don’t have time. So I go to my old one: ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s timeless.”

That may make fans wonder who is behind the keyboard on those nights that John live tweets an episode of Shark Tank or Beyond the Tank. In addition to spending minimal time watching television, John told the Times that he likes to watch movies: action flicks and Ben Stiller comedies. The multi-millionaire singled out the Jim Carrey classic Dumb and Dumber.

According to the article, John travels 280 days a year, and in addition to his rural property where he raises animals and grows food, lives across the street from his Empire State Building offices. Last year, John wrote on Facebook about his “hallway” photos that he commonly posts on social media. He denied they projected the loneliness of a man always on the road, arriving in an unfamiliar and empty place. Posting a darkened image of his young daughter in the hallways, John asked fans why they assumed he was traveling alone.

“I’m never alone! I’ve been fortunate enough to be blessed to have my health, friends, challenges, love, laughter, sorrow and true joy around me every day! My real supporters know this about me already. I’m only writing this to those that have no idea about the true meaning of success.”

As for those animals, they appear to be well-kept. John told The Times that he has chickens and about 150 guinea hens. Although he’ll wake up early to go fishing and will batter and fry up his catch, he doesn’t accompany his meal with any of his feathered flock.

“I don’t eat them — they’re my friends. I let them roam the yard. They eat a fairly large amount of bugs and ticks. I’ll go get fresh eggs from the chickens.”

John is dyslexic and told Entrepreneur last year he often has to read books several times; that’s why many of his favorites are “high-impact and useful.” Among the titles on his recommended reading list are Think and Grow Rich and Who Moved My Cheese?

Perhaps not surprising for a man who has achieved great things in his life, John does not wait until Monday morning to get into work mode. He starts thinking about work about 8 or 9 p.m. on Sunday night, telling The Times he is “excited” about it, given where he came from and where he is now.

Shark Tank airs in reruns on CNBC and Friday nights on ABC.

[Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images]