Kevin O'Leary Calls North Dakota 'Most Underestimated State In America', Predicts 'Yippee-Ki-Okay' Cash Geyser Opportunity For Investors

Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary says North Dakota has his attention as an investor and is among America's “most underestimated states.”

What Happened: "North Dakota is one of the most underestimated states in America, and that's exactly why I'm paying attention," he wrote on X. "With massive reserves of stranded natural gas and a newly approved pipeline to Fargo … it's perfectly positioned for AI infrastructure and data centers. I call it the Norway of America."

On Fox Business, O'Leary pressed the point: "There's 750,000 people there on an almost unlimited amount of stranded Nat gas. … They will be the Norwegians … in terms of net worth underground, no question they are going to be the richest Americans." He pegged the timeline at "the next four or five years," adding, "I'm licking my chops on that place."

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According to a local report by KFYR-TV, much of O’Leary’s excitement hinges on the proposed 375-mile Bakken East pipeline. The pipeline is slated to carry as much as 760 million cubic feet of gas a day from the Bakken oil patch to Fargo, where Microsoft already operates a major engineering hub.

Federal energy data already peg North Dakota's 2023 gas output at a record 1.2 trillion cubic feet, with state officials pushing to monetize what now often burns off at the wellhead.

Why It Matters: Kevin O'Leary is backing his bullish talk on North Dakota with cash. His Wonder Fund North Dakota is a $45 million State Small Business Credit Initiative vehicle targeting early-stage companies and designed to crowd in far more private money.

The "Shark Tank" star's fascination with the state dates to his $80,000 stake in Fargo-based PRx Performance — one of the show's marquee success stories, which he says revealed North Dakota's potential compared with "uninvestable" coastal states.

Image via Shutterstock

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