Real estate mogul and Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran isn’t afraid to mix business smarts with a little chaos—and that includes faking her own death for a birthday party. On the latest episode of Boardroom Talks, Corcoran recounted the unforgettable prank to host Damien Scott, sharing the laughs, lessons, and sheer audacity behind the stunt.
“When Liz told me they were planning a surprise party, I said, ‘I’m going to turn the tables and surprise them,’” Corcoran recalled.
Her friends were waiting upstairs in her duplex for her arrival from the airport, but Corcoran’s brother had a different plan. “They planned their party at my house, and they were upstairs… My brother chased ’em all downstairs. He said, ‘my sister’s coming in, downstairs quick. Go downstairs.’ They walked into the living room and found me dead in a coffin,” she explained, laughing.
The prank was elaborately staged. “I had set up the whole room as a funeral party,” she said. “The chairs, the nuns, the priests, the rabbis, everybody there.” Guests, believing Corcoran had truly passed away, were encouraged to speak openly. “And they all said what they liked about me, thinking I was dead, and what they didn’t like about me,” she added.
Even her family got involved in the elaborate setup, including her then-nine-year-old daughter, who delivered a perfectly blunt reaction. “I wanted to kill her,” Corcoran joked. “She was only, like, nine at the time, and she said, ‘When do we get the money?’”
Beyond the shock value, Corcoran says the prank had a deeper lesson: it gave her a rare glimpse into how people really felt about her. “But, you know, everybody talked about me. How many times, how many people, if anyone, do you know who hear what people say about them after they’re dead? I got to hear it all,” she reflected.
Corcoran paired the outrageous story with her usual blend of business insight and life lessons. Known for her instincts, grit, and people-reading skills, she shared on “Boardroom Talks” how the unconventional mindset that guided her career also informed her playful, audacious approach to life.
Whether buying real estate or staging a mock funeral, Barbara Corcoran proves that a mix of creativity, courage, and a sense of humor can lead to unforgettable experiences—both in business and in life.
