Nicki Minaj and actor Dean Cain are taking starring roles in a "Shark Tank"-style event being held by the Small Business Administration (SBA). "Starships" rapper Minaj — who's described herself as President Trump's likely "No. 1 fan" — will join an "all-star judging panel" including Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and investor Grant Cardone…
Page A8From§Eachthe noon edition — 1 September 2026
Nicki Minaj and Dean Cain tapped for White House entrepreneur competition, administration calls it 'Shark Tank'-style
The administration launches a 'Shark Tank'-style competition, with Nicki Minaj and Dean Cain as the marquee judges. The pitch: bring entrepreneurship to the mainstream, add celebrity luster, and call it policy. The official line is innovation, but the receipts are clear: entertainment is the draw, not the business plan.
It’s good optics — star power gets press, and the event is branded as economic development. The actual entrepreneurs? They get judged by pop culture, not by venture capital. The line is clear: the White House is selling the contest, not the outcome. Did I say outcome? I meant ratings. The policy becomes a show, and the stakes shift from ideas to applause.
“Nicki Minaj and Dean Cain are recruited for the White House's entrepreneur contest, pitched as 'Shark Tank'-style. The administration turns celebrity into policy, and the actual business gets judged by pop culture. The stakes are whose idea makes it through the tank.”
“The White House is innovating — bringing star power to entrepreneurship. It's a win-win for everyone involved, and the competition will highlight American ingenuity. Did I say ingenuity? I meant entertainment value, but that's practically the same thing.”
The receipts
Rapper Nicki Minaj and actor Dean Cain will join a “Shark Tank”-style White House event later this month as five American entrepreneurs compete for a share of a $1 million prize pool.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.