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Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary expressed his concerns about the recent decline in investment in Harvard's prestigious research program. In a video posted on his Instagram account on June 2, the Shark Tank star noted,
"Harvard can't catch a break. They're not on the news every day. They're in the news every hour."
Harvard University, once the top global research institution by total investment, has now been overtaken by the Beijing Science Institute, according to O'Leary. His remarks come amid growing criticism directed at Harvard over its admissions policies, foreign student population, and broader political scrutiny, particularly from former President Donald Trump.
O’Leary’s remarks highlight concerns within the business and academic sectors about the United States' position in global education and research rankings. His comments also point to the potential impact of domestic policies on institutions such as Harvard.
Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary highlights Harvard’s struggles in global competition
Kevin O'Leary, best known for his role on Shark Tank, commented publicly about Harvard University on June 2 via his Instagram account.
"Harvard used to be the number one research institution on earth by dollars invested, and the Chinese just beat us. Beijing Science Institute now is number one, Harvard’s number two and the next American institution is down in the bottom quartile because the French and the Germans… I mean honestly or dishonestly, we gotta start looking at this problem here.”
O’Leary said the U.S. needs to regain its top position in research, either by improving its performance or surpassing China’s advancements. His remarks follow weeks of political pressure on Harvard from important figures, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have criticized the university’s international student policies.
On May 30, during a live interview on Fox News' Outnumbered, O’Leary appeared to directly push back on Trump’s efforts to limit the number of foreign students at institutions like Harvard.
“Harvard’s taken a lot of heat for other stuff, but they shouldn’t be taking heat for curating amazing cohorts. These kids are amazing, and we gotta keep them here.”
President Trump had recently suggested implementing a 15 percent cap on the percentage of foreign students admitted to U.S. universities, with a specific emphasis on Ivy League institutions such as Harvard. Speaking from the Oval Office on May 29, Trump said,
“Many of those students didn’t go anywhere. Many of those students were troublemakers caused by the radical left lunatics in this country.”
Trump’s comments came in the midst of broader proposals to revoke student visas for Chinese scholars, as stated by Secretary Rubio. O’Leary criticized U.S. immigration policies that force international students to leave after graduation.
He argued that many of them want to stay, start businesses, and contribute to the economy, and it makes no sense to send them away after investing in their education. According to The Hill on May 30, a federal judge recently ruled against the Trump administration’s proposed cap, siding with Harvard University.
Shark Tank's O’Leary criticizes U.S. education policy and union influence
Kevin O’Leary’s critique of U.S. education extends beyond elite universities. Speaking on CNN’s NewsNight on March 11, the Shark Tank investor blamed declining reading and math scores on teacher unions, arguing they protect underperforming educators.
“Unions that keep mediocre teachers in place... we should be firing them,” he said.
His remarks coincided with news that over 1,300 Department of Education employees were laid off as part of a federal downsizing plan announced by Education Secretary Linda McMahon. O’Leary advocated for higher pay for effective teachers, saying,
“The lowest paid person in America that deserves a lot more money is a great teacher.”
He asserted that union protections contribute to stagnation in academic performance. Political analyst Bakari Sellers disagreed, citing hunger, not unions, as the main barrier to student success. While O’Leary’s comments sparked debate, he has remained vocal across multiple platforms about what he sees as systemic inefficiencies in U.S. education.
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