'Best Time to Get Rich Is During Chaos!': Why Kevin O'Leary Says Trump's Trade Turmoil Is a Goldmine

ABC Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary recently said in an interview with Politico that US President Donald Trump's tariffs and a sweeping overhaul of government institutions increase input costs and are a headache for businesses.

However, he highlighted that some of America's greatest businesses were founded during major recessions, trade wars, and even a real-estate meltdown. The millionaire stated that entrepreneurs have survived and many have thrived in such drastic environments.

Mr. Wonderful urged entrepreneurs to view economic chaos as an opportunity to launch something new.

'In fact, the best time to start a business, proven by the statistics, is in chaos,' O'Leary said in the interview. 'Every time the American economy is going through some kind of a correction is a fantastic time to be an entrepreneur and start something. And then you have to figure out how to pivot through it.'

Despite higher input costs from tariffs, the US is still a fertile ground for innovation, citing the surge in business formation rates in recent years.

According to the Census Bureau, business formations rose during the pandemic after declining immediately during the onset of the lockdown.

In August, business applications rose 0.5% from July, sustaining the uptrend that began earlier this year despite a momentary slump due to Trump's tariff rollout. The tariffs led to chaos in financial markets as duties reached their highest levels in nearly a hundred years.

Note that most of the recent gains were concentrated in retail trade, while sectors like construction, transportation, warehousing, and professional services have been muted.

Deals with the European Union and Japan have reduced auto tariffs to 15% from 25%, while also committing them to billions of dollars in US investments. In this scenario, one must look beyond the politics and focus on the policies to 'make radical investment decisions at minimal risk,' O'Leary explained.

'If you look for the path of least resistance, you want to find big opportunities because of disruption,' he added. 'You want to find something that has been completely dislocated and invest in that because of the policy changes.'

O'Leary's comments share similarities with the views of billionaire investors Bill Ackman and Warren Buffett.

Ackman, who is the CEO of the Pershing Square Capital hedge fund, said earlier this year that 'anytime something happens that creates uncertainty, generally stocks go down... If you wait until the uncertainty goes away, it's too late.'

Meanwhile, the Oracle of Omaha, Buffett, has long urged investors to 'be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful,' highlighting that market volatility often gives rise to the best opportunities.

On artificial intelligence, O'Leary said that the technology has boosted productivity and contributed to the stock market's record rallies in recent months. 'Every single one of my companies uses it today, and it's very productive. It helps enhance margins. It reduces costs in every sector of the economy,' he said.

O'Leary concluded by saying that there is highly specialised talent that cannot all be filled with domestic workers. Startups that hire AI engineers from abroad gain a competitive advantage in the global talent race.