Ashton Kutcher

Most people know Ashton Kutcher from That '70s Show or maybe Punk’d, but the guy has quietly become one of the most successful celebrity investors in Silicon Valley. Like, legitimately good at it, not just a famous person throwing money around.

He grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, did some time at the University of Iowa, and obviously became a huge TV and movie star. But the interesting part of his story is what happened off screen. In 2009 he founded A-Grade Investments and started putting money into early stage tech companies. We’re talking Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, all before they were the giants they are now. Those early bets paid off in a massive way.

On Shark Tank he shows up as a guest shark and brings a totally different energy than the regulars. He’s not a finance guy or a retail mogul. He’s a tech investor who also happens to be famous, which means he understands both the startup world and the value of a massive public platform. That combination actually makes him a pretty unique shark.

He doesn’t do every episode obviously, but when he’s on the panel he tends to get excited about tech-forward products and companies with strong growth potential. He’s less interested in the “I sell candles at farmers markets” type pitches and more interested in things that could scale into something big.

Worth noting:

• Founded A-Grade Investments, early investor in Uber, Airbnb, and Spotify
• Guest shark on Shark Tank
• One of the most successful celebrity tech investors in Silicon Valley