LavaBox Net Worth Update: The Lori Greiner Deal That Never Closed — But the Brand Kept Burning
Josh Thurmond pitched LavaBox on Shark Tank Season 14 and accepted Lori Greiner’s $200,000-for-12.5% deal on air — then walked away to keep full ownership. The brand reported up to ~$2M revenue in 2023 and remains active in 2026. Here is the full net worth update.
TL;DRLavaBox is a Denver-based portable propane campfire brand founded by Joshua Thurmond in 2020, built inside rugged ammo cans as a fire-ban-compliant alternative to wood campfires. On Shark Tank USA Season 14, Episode 18 (March 31, 2023), Thurmond asked $200,000 for 10% equity at a $2 million valuation. After competing offers from Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John, he accepted Lori Greiner’s counter of $200,000 for 12.5% plus a $0.75-per-unit royalty until she recouped her investment. The deal never closed: Thurmond told BusinessDen in April 2023 that he decided not to sign, nearly a year after filming, to retain 100% ownership. Reported revenue benchmarks include about $610,000 at the time of the pitch with $290,000 profit, $1.2 million in 2022, and roughly $2 million for 2023. As of 2026 LavaBox remains in business through fireanytime.com and outdoor retail partners. Its exact net worth is not officially disclosed; conservative editorial estimates based on reported revenue and strong margins fall roughly in the $2 million to $4 million range.
Quick answer: LavaBox is still in business in 2026. Founder Josh Thurmond accepted a $200,000 for 12.5% deal from Lori Greiner on Shark Tank Season 14, Episode 18 — but the deal never closed. Thurmond walked away to keep 100% ownership. The portable campfire brand remains active through fireanytime.com and retail partners. Its exact net worth is not officially disclosed; the best public revenue signals are ~$1.2M in 2022 and roughly $2M in 2023, which support a conservative editorial estimate of about $2M–$4M.
| Company | LavaBox — portable propane campfires in ammo-can housings |
| Founder | Joshua (Josh) Thurmond |
| Founded | 2020, Denver, Colorado |
| Show | Shark Tank USA, Season 14, Episode 18 (aired March 31, 2023) |
| The ask | $200,000 for 10% (~$2M valuation) |
| On-air deal | $200,000 for 12.5% + $0.75/unit royalty — Lori Greiner |
| Did the deal close? | No — Thurmond declined to sign (April 2023) |
| Ownership | 100% founder-owned (bootstrapped) |
| Reported revenue | ~$1.2M (2022); ~$2M (2023, reported) |
| Estimated net worth | Not officially confirmed (~$2M–$4M editorial estimate) |
| Where to buy | fireanytime.com + outdoor retail partners |
What is LavaBox’s net worth?
LavaBox does not publish audited financials or an official valuation in 2026. The safest public anchors are revenue benchmarks Thurmond and post-show reporting have cited:
- At the pitch: about $610,000 in sales with $290,000 profit, projecting $1.2 million for the year.
- 2022: about $1.2 million in revenue.
- 2023: roughly $2 million, per Thurmond’s post-show statements and widely cited follow-ups.
With strong unit economics and continued sales through fireanytime.com and retail partners, a conservative editorial estimate puts company value in the roughly $2 million to $4 million range. That is not an audited net worth figure — treat older single-number claims like $3.168 million as speculative math built on invented growth projections, not verified facts.
Is LavaBox still in business?
Yes. LavaBox remains active in 2026. The brand sells through its official site and outdoor retail partners, continues marketing its fire-ban-compliant portable campfires, and has expanded its product line beyond the original ammo-can models.
Did the LavaBox Shark Tank deal close?
No. On air, Josh Thurmond accepted Lori Greiner’s revised offer of $200,000 for 12.5% equity plus a $0.75-per-unit royalty until she recouped her investment. In April 2023, he told BusinessDen he decided not to sign the deal — nearly a year after filming — to keep full control of the bootstrapped company. The TV exposure still helped: LavaBox sold about 260 units in one day after the episode aired, roughly a month’s normal volume. For a similar “deal fell through but the brand kept going” story, see Kitchen Safe (kSafe).
The LavaBox Shark Tank pitch recap
Thurmond entered Season 14 asking $200,000 for 10%, valuing LavaBox at $2 million. His pitch: a portable, propane-powered campfire built into a military-style ammo can — safer during fire bans and easier to pack for rafting, camping, and tailgating.
Multiple sharks competed. Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John offered $200,000 for 20%; Lori Greiner countered with $200,000 for 15% plus royalties, then settled at 12.5% plus $0.75 per unit. Thurmond chose Lori — on TV. Off camera, he kept the company entirely his own.
What happened to LavaBox after Shark Tank?
The episode acted mainly as marketing. Even without Lori’s money, LavaBox expanded distribution through small outdoor retailers, grew its direct-to-consumer business, and added products and accessories. The brand also built a mission layer into the business:
- Product expansion: Original, Hekla, Naked LavaBox, and later models including the BoomBox cooking line.
- IP: patent-pending burner design and a granted propane-tank insulator patent.
- Retail footprint: sold via fireanytime.com and partner outdoor shops nationally.
- Social impact: donates $1 per sale to Protect Our Rivers and supports outdoor-access programs.
Who founded LavaBox?
Josh Thurmond, a former raft guide and outdoor-program developer based in Denver. He built the first burners in his garage after a Colorado rafting trip where open flames were banned. He has publicly tied the brand to accessibility goals, including eventually building a workplace run by people with disabilities. Founder personal net worth figures online are not verified; the safer numbers are company revenue and the conservative valuation range above.
Where can you buy LavaBox?
Yes, it is available. LavaBox sells through fireanytime.com and selected outdoor retail partners. Models vary by size and finish; pricing depends on the unit (Original, Hekla, BoomBox, accessories). Check the official site for current stock and pricing.
LavaBox timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Josh Thurmond founds LavaBox in Denver |
| 2022 | Reports about $1.2M in revenue |
| Mar 2023 | Shark Tank S14 E18 airs; accepts Lori Greiner deal on TV |
| Apr 2023 | Thurmond tells BusinessDen he will not sign the deal |
| 2023 | Reported revenue roughly $2M; post-show sales spike |
| 2025+ | BoomBox and expanded product line; still selling D2C + retail |
| 2026 | Still operating; net worth not officially disclosed |
Frequently asked questions
What is LavaBox’s net worth?
Not officially disclosed. Reported revenue of about $1.2M (2022) and roughly $2M (2023), plus strong margins, support a conservative editorial estimate of about $2M–$4M — not an audited figure.
Did LavaBox get a deal on Shark Tank?
On air, yes — Lori Greiner offered $200,000 for 12.5% plus royalties and Thurmond accepted. The deal was never finalized; he walked away to keep 100% ownership.
Is LavaBox still in business?
Yes. The brand remains active through fireanytime.com and retail partners in 2026.
Who founded LavaBox?
Josh Thurmond, a Denver-based former raft guide who launched the company in 2020.
Where can I buy LavaBox?
Through fireanytime.com and selected outdoor retail stores.
Why did Josh Thurmond reject Lori Greiner’s deal?
He told BusinessDen he wanted to retain full control of the bootstrapped company and was unsure how far he wanted to scale with outside investors.
The bottom line
LavaBox is a Shark Tank story where the handshake didn’t become a check — and the founder is fine with that. Thurmond kept 100% ownership, the brand kept selling, and public revenue signals point to a real, profitable outdoor business rather than a TV-only moment. For net worth, stay honest: use the reported revenue benchmarks and a conservative $2M–$4M range, not invented precision.
How we verified this update
This update is based on LavaBox’s Shark Tank USA appearance (Season 14, Episode 18, March 31, 2023), the on-air Lori Greiner offer ($200,000 for 12.5% plus royalties), Josh Thurmond’s April 2023 BusinessDen interview confirming he did not sign the deal, pitch-day sales/profit figures (~$610K sales, $290K profit), reported 2022 revenue (~$1.2M) and 2023 revenue (~$2M), and the brand’s continued availability through fireanytime.com and retail partners in 2026. Net worth is stated as an editorial estimate because LavaBox does not publish audited valuations. We refresh this page when new verified facts emerge.
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