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'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary calls gold his 'insurance policy:' Here's why he says everyone should own it

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Gold remains stable despite inflation 

"Ichihuahua caramba, I'm so happy with my gold" isn’t exactly a phrase you’d expect from one of the most notable investors in the U.S., but Kevin O’Leary, a "Shark Tank" judge, reacted positively to gold in his October 2025 interview with WIRED magazine

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Considering he’s worth around $400 million and has spent decades investing in a wide variety of assets, he might be someone worth listening to. In fact, he’s invested in gold for years and has about 5% in his portfolio. 

As the price of gold has climbed in the past several years, O’Leary claims he saw this coming a while ago. 

In this article: American Hartford GoldThor Metals and Priority Gold

Why O'Leary calls gold an 'insurance policy'

Forbes reported that O’Leary favored gold even a decade ago, saying "I like gold because it is a stabilizer, it is an insurance policy."

What’s more, in a video where O’Leary spoke about gold on X in late 2025, he says this asset has “ been  established as a store of value everywhere. It's not a debate, it's not a Johnny-come-lately, it's not a crypto, it's not something where there are still skeptics."

It does sound like a logical point, considering that gold tends to hold “steady” even during market volatility. Historically, when stocks fall, gold holds its value. 

For O’Leary and other investors, buying gold isn’t exactly a get-rich-quick tactic, nor is it a way to earn a high amount of wealth over time. Instead, adding gold to a portfolio is to help diversify, offering some sort of “stability” while taking more risks with other types of assets like crypto or individual stocks.

Buying gold, even at all-time highs

Even if gold is at a higher price, it might still be worth it to invest in it. Aside from the “insurance policy” aspect of it, you can still build some wealth with gold, especially with the returns experienced in the past two years. 

The truth is that it’s hard to time the market, just like if you were to invest in stocks and bonds. The idea is to invest consistently to take advantage of a longer period of time for your investments to grow. Plus, doing so can help hedge against the more unpredictable parts of life, like inflation, currency devaluation and geopolitical instability. 

How you can own gold

You can invest in gold in several ways, by purchasing exchange traded funds (ETFs) or physical gold. 

A common way for everyday investors is to invest in a Gold IRA, so you’re not responsible for finding and paying separately to store physical gold you buy in a secure vault. You choose a reputable Gold IRA company that’ll help you purchase legitimate precious metals. The company will take care to store it in an IRS-approved facility. You can also roll over part or all of an existing IRA and still receive the same tax benefits. 

The key to choosing the best fit is to find a Gold IRA custodian that offers transparent fees, a solid buyback program, and highly-rated reviews. You want to be sure that you understand what you’re paying for and you won’t be pressured to invest more than you really want to. 

Best Gold IRAs

American Hartford Gold

American Hartford Gold was founded in 2015 and is one of the most recognized names when it comes to Gold IRA providers. The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and high ratings from Trustpilot, most notably for its customer support and ease with account rollovers. 

Inventors only need a $10,000 minimum to open an account, which is one of the lowest around, and annual fees are competitive. Those who are rolling over a certain amount may get their fees waived. There is also a buyback program, where American Hartford Gold will repurchase your precious metals with no liquidation fees. 

Thor Metals Group

This company has earned an A rating from the BBB and offers resources and education to help you understand how you may want to invest in gold. You won’t have to pay setup fees, and the minimum to open an account is $10,000, with no storage fees if you invest a certain amount. 

Priority Gold

Priority Gold has been around since 2001 and is also highly rated by the BBB and Trustpilot. It’s also received high ratings from the Business Consumer Alliance. While the minimum to invest in a Gold IRA with this company is higher, the minimum threshold to have your storage and administrative fees waived is lower. You’ll also get a dedicated account representative who can help walk you through the process in depth.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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