'Shark Tank' star faces backlash as video surfaces of lavish behavior: 'Looks like a scene out of Batman'

In March, Shark Tank's Kevin O' Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, was spotted cruising down the Miami River on his sleek, multimillion-dollar superyacht.

In a TikTok video captured by Miami | Miami Beach (@livinmiami305), a party appeared to be in full swing, with rap music blasting and guests having a great time. 

@livinmiami305 Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful from 'Shark Tank' on a multimillion dollar yacht in Miami going down the Miami River 😎 3/15/25 More on IG - livinmiami305 📸: @212 Boatrental #miami #miamiflorida #miamilife #miamivibes #miamiliving #kevinoleary ♬ original sound - Miami | Miami Beach

According to the Miami charter service Instagram account Yachting with Christos (​​@yachtingwithchristos), the vessel was an 85-foot Wally WHY 150 and cost a cool $9 million.

While the yacht is undoubtedly an eye-catcher, large boats aren't exactly known for being environmentally friendly. 

For example, a 2024 Oxfam report found that the world's richest 50 billionaires produce more carbon pollution from their private jets, superyachts, and investments in just 90 minutes than most people do in an entire lifetime. In one year, their yachts generate as much carbon as the average person does in nearly 900 years. 

This unfathomable amount of pollution not only harms the environment and contributes to rising temperatures but also causes trillions of dollars in economic losses, crop failures, and millions of excess deaths, according to the report. 

While Wally incorporates eco-friendly elements — such as recycled plastic, sustainably farmed wood, lightweight carbon fiber to improve efficiency, and a hull optimized for fuel economy, according to YachtBuyer — in its builds, the ships still rely on diesel fuel. 

Modern technologies and emissions standards have made diesel cars and trucks much cleaner-burning, as AZoCleantech reported, but most superyachts use marine diesel, which emits substantially higher levels of pollutants such as sulfur and particulate matter when burned. 

And because yachts are so much larger than cars and trucks, they use significantly more fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency, on the other hand, has enacted new marine diesel fuel standards that should help. 

Still, large yachts have an outsized impact on people, marine creatures, ecosystems, and the planet as a whole, so it's important to choose eco-friendly transportation and travel lightly. 

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Fortunately, more boating companies are debuting vessels fully or partially powered by clean energy sources such as solar and hydrogen fuel cells, making it easier to sail in style with sustainability in mind. 

"Looks like a scene out of Batman and Kevin O'Leary is the villain," one person commented on TikTok.

"People struggling to make ends meet while the rich flaunt their wealth," a second shared.

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