‘Shark Tank’ Star Daymond John Tried to Sell N95 Masks to Florida at 3 Times Market Price

quote:

---

“Shark Tank” star Daymond John has been accused of trying to sell over-priced N95 masks to the state of Florida.

The entrepreneur and CEO of the Shark Group tried to sell the 3M-made masks to the state for $7 each, which is more than three times the typical rate of about $2, according to a report published by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times.

The state decided healthcare workers in COVID-19 hot spots needed access to the much-needed masks, no matter the price, Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management, told the Herald.

“This was not somebody off the street, this was Daymond John,” Moskowitz said. “He came to me and said, ‘I’ve been in the clothing business. I have connections with factories in China.’ “

---

quote:

---

John denied any wrongdoing in the following statement:

“Today’s Miami Herald story and subsequent reports are false, inaccurateand shows a complete reckless disregard for the truth. Let me be clear: Proper reporting would have shown I did not set any prices and that my team worked with the State of Florida to: 1. Save lives 2. Help vet the overwhelming amount of incoming PPE offerings based on my manufacturing expertise and guide them how to best do this 3. Play a pivotal role to stop pricing gouging, and successfully identify potential fraud and theft of PPE product to protect taxpayers funds. States were not setup to vet and operate global supply chains and sourcing. Many states were forced to blindly wire money to nefarious parties around the world and ultimately never received correct or safe product. My company was serving as an intermediary to vet the numerous 3M distributors and to protect Florida taxpayers, while establishing escrow protections that allowed the State to conduct proper due diligence before finalizing its purchase of masks. Our system did exactly what it was intended to do. No money was spent and every penny of taxpayers money remained safe. We will continue to work with the proper government agencies in this capacity. The Miami Herald’s characterization of my work completely disregards this. Instead, it opts for a gross distortion of the truth in a blind effort to create splashy headlines to mislead readers.”

---