Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Mark Cuban
How Mark Cuban built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Mark Cuban is a highly successful American businessman, television personality, and investor. Best known as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a prominent investor on Shark Tank, Cuban has built a fortune estimated at $5.7 billion. He co-owns 2929 Entertainment and has made significant contributions to the sports and entertainment industries. His business acumen and media presence have established him as a major figure in both entrepreneurial and popular culture.
1990: Sale of MicroSolutions
In 1990, Mark Cuban sold MicroSolutions to CompuServe for $6 million, earning approximately $2 million after taxes.
1995: Joining Audionet
In 1995, Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner joined Audionet, combining their interest in college basketball and webcasting.
1996: Cuban Donates to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch
In 1996, Mark Cuban donated $6,000 to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah.
1998: Audionet Becomes Broadcast.com
In 1998, Audionet was rebranded as Broadcast.com.
1999: Acquisition by Yahoo!
In 1999, Broadcast.com was acquired by Yahoo! for $5.7 billion in Yahoo! stock.
January 4, 2000: Purchase of Dallas Mavericks
On January 4, 2000, Mark Cuban purchased a majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks for $285 million.
2002: Cuban Donates to Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
In 2002, Mark Cuban donated $1,000 to Democratic California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren.
September 24, 2003: Purchase of Landmark Theatres
On September 24, 2003, 2929 Entertainment, of which Mark Cuban is a co-owner, purchased Landmark Theatres.
June 2004: Stock dilution
A stock dilution occurred shortly after a trade in June 2004, giving hints of inside knowledge at the time of the trade, and Cuban allegedly was saved from a loss of $750,000.
2005: Booing campaign against former Mavericks player
During the 2005–06 NBA season, Mark Cuban started a booing campaign when former Mavericks player Michael Finley returned to play against the Mavericks as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
2005: Cuban Expresses Interest in Pittsburgh Penguins
In 2005, Mark Cuban expressed interest in buying the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
2005: Investment in RedSwoosh
In 2005, Mark Cuban invested $1.7 million in the file-sharing company RedSwoosh.
2005: Cuban Rebuffed in Pittsburgh Pirates Purchase
In 2005, Mark Cuban's attempt to purchase his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates was rebuffed by then owner Kevin McClatchy.
April 2006: Sirius Radio Show Announcement
In April 2006, Sirius Satellite Radio announced that Mark Cuban would host his own weekly radio talk show, Mark Cuban's Radio Maverick. The show did not materialize.
June 30, 2006: Dirk Nowitzki comments on Cuban
On June 30, 2006, Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki gave an interview with insight about Mark Cuban.
July 2006: Financed Sharesleuth.com
In July 2006, Mark Cuban financed Sharesleuth.com, a website created to uncover fraud in publicly traded companies, sparking controversy over his stock trading practices.
2006: NBA Finals
After the 2006 NBA Finals, Cuban was fined $250,000 by the NBA for repeated misconduct following the Mavericks' loss to the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2006 NBA Finals.
2006: Fined for misconduct after NBA Finals
After the 2006 NBA Finals, Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 by the NBA for repeated misconduct following the Mavericks' loss to the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2006 NBA Finals.
2006: Release of "Bubble"
In 2006, 2929 Entertainment released "Bubble", a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh.
2006: Cuban Joins Investment Group to Acquire Penguins
In 2006, Mark Cuban joined an investment group to attempt to acquire the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the bid was rejected.
2006: Financing of "Redacted"
In 2006, Mark Cuban, through Magnolia Pictures, financed "Redacted", a film based on the Mahmudiyah killings.
February 2007: Criticized Dwyane Wade and the 2006 NBA Finals
In February 2007, Mark Cuban publicly criticized NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade and declared that he would get fined if he made any comments about what he thought really happened in the 2006 NBA Finals.
April 2007: Publication of First Children's Book
In April 2007, Mark Cuban partnered with Mascot Books to publish his first children's book, Let's Go, Mavs!.
September 12, 2007: Cuban in Talks with WWE to Create MMA Company
On September 12, 2007, Mark Cuban said he was in talks with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to create a mixed martial arts company.
September 2007: Removal of Photographs from "Redacted"
In September 2007, Mark Cuban, as owner of Magnolia Pictures, removed disturbing photographs from the film "Redacted" due to copyright issues.
October 13, 2007: HDNet Fights Premieres
On October 13, 2007, Mark Cuban organized "HDNet Fights", a mixed martial arts promotion which premiered on HDNet.
2007: Red Swoosh Acquired by Akamai
In 2007, Red Swoosh, in which Mark Cuban invested, was acquired by Akamai for $19 million.
October 2008: Start of Bailoutsleuth.com
In October 2008, Mark Cuban started Bailoutsleuth.com, an online portal for oversight over the U.S. government's $700 billion bailout of financial institutions.
November 17, 2008: SEC files civil suit against Cuban
On November 17, 2008, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil suit against Mark Cuban relating to alleged insider trading in the shares of Mamma.com. Cuban disputed the charges.
2008: Cuban Bids for Chicago Cubs
In 2008, Mark Cuban submitted an initial bid of $1.3 billion to buy the Chicago Cubs.
January 2009: Cuban Not Selected in Chicago Cubs Bidding
In January 2009, Mark Cuban was not selected to participate in the final bidding process for the Chicago Cubs.
January 16, 2009: Fined for yelling at J. R. Smith
On January 16, 2009, Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 by the league for yelling at Denver Nuggets player J. R. Smith. He offered to match the fine with a donation to a charity of Smith's choosing.
May 2009: Cuban makes controversial "thugs" statement
In May 2009, Mark Cuban made a reference to the Denver Nuggets being "thugs" after a loss to the Nuggets in game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He also made a comment to Kenyon Martin's mother, leading to further controversy.
2009: Considered Uber Investment
In 2009, Travis Kalanick approached Mark Cuban to invest in Uber, but Cuban never heard back after proposing a lower valuation.
2009: Cuban Becomes Panelist at MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
Since 2009, Mark Cuban has been a panelist at the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
April 2010: Cuban Loans Money to United Football League
In April 2010, Mark Cuban loaned the newly formed United Football League (UFL) $5 million.
May 22, 2010: Fined for comments about LeBron James
On May 22, 2010, Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 for comments he made during a television interview about trying to sign LeBron James.
August 2010: Cuban Bids for Texas Rangers
In August 2010, Mark Cuban actively bid to buy the Texas Rangers with Jeffrey L. Beck, but lost the deal.
September 2010: Venture Capital for Motionloft
In September 2010, Mark Cuban provided venture capital to Motionloft after receiving a cold email from its CEO.
October 6, 2010: UFL Fails to Repay Loan to Cuban
By October 6, 2010, the United Football League (UFL) failed to repay a $5 million loan to Mark Cuban.
January 2011: Cuban Files Lawsuit Against UFL
In January 2011, Mark Cuban filed a federal lawsuit against the UFL for failing to repay a $5 million loan.
April 2011: Magnolia and Landmark Up for Sale
In April 2011, Mark Cuban put Magnolia Pictures and Landmark Theatres up for sale, but only if the price was right.
November 2011: Cuban Comments on Dodgers Franchise Value
In November 2011, Mark Cuban said he didn't think the Dodgers franchise was worth twice what the Rangers were worth.
November 2011: Publication of "How to Win at the Sport of Business"
In November 2011, Mark Cuban wrote and released a 30,000-word e-book titled "How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It".
2011: Cuban Expresses Interest in New York Mets Ownership
In 2011, Mark Cuban expressed interest in becoming a minority owner of the New York Mets.
2011: NBA Championship Win
In 2011, Mark Cuban, as the owner, saw the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA Championship.
January 2012: Cuban Eliminated from Dodgers Bidding
In January 2012, Mark Cuban placed an initial bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was eliminated before the second round of bidding.
December 19, 2012: Cuban Donates to Electronic Frontier Foundation
On December 19, 2012, Mark Cuban donated $250,000 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation to support its work on patent reform.
January 18, 2014: Fined for confronting referees
On January 18, 2014, Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 for confronting referees and using inappropriate language toward them. He confirmed that he would match the fine with a donation to charity.
June 2015: Cuban Invests in Esports Betting Platform Unikrn
In June 2015, Mark Cuban invested in the esports betting platform Unikrn.
June 2015: Donated to Indiana University
In June 2015, Mark Cuban made a $5 million donation to Indiana University Bloomington for the "Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology".
February 2016: Cuban Purchases Stake in Professional Futsal League
In February 2016, Mark Cuban purchased a principal ownership stake in the Professional Futsal League.
January 2018: Accepting Bitcoin
In January 2018, Mark Cuban announced the Mavericks would be accepting Bitcoin as payment for tickets in the following season.
February 21, 2018: Fined for "tanking" statement
On February 21, 2018, Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 by the NBA for stating that the Dallas Mavericks should "tank for the rest of the season." Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the fine was "for public statements detrimental to the NBA."
March 8, 2018: NBA reviews Cuban allegations.
On March 8, 2018, the NBA announced that it was reviewing the matter of the incident between Mark Cuban and a female patron of a Portland, Oregon bar called the Barrel Room.
2019: Acquisition of Stake in Veldskoen Shoes
In 2019, Mark Cuban acquired a 50% stake in Veldskoen Shoes' United States business.
March 6, 2020: Fined for criticism of NBA officiating
On March 6, 2020, Mark Cuban was fined $500,000 by the NBA for "public criticism and detrimental conduct regarding NBA officiating", according to the league.
June 2020: Considered running for president as an independent candidate
In June 2020, Mark Cuban considered running for president as an independent candidate. He commissioned a poll that showed he would only receive 25% of the vote in a hypothetical matchup with Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The poll also indicated that his candidacy would have pulled votes from both Trump and Biden.
2020: Helped Delonte West
In 2020, Mark Cuban picked up homeless former NBA player Delonte West from a gas station in Dallas and paid for his treatment at a drug rehabilitation center.
March 4, 2021: Accepting Dogecoin
On March 4, 2021, Mark Cuban announced the Mavericks would begin accepting Dogecoin as payment for merchandise and tickets.
2021: Investment in Injective Protocol and Purchase of Mustang, Texas
In 2021, Mark Cuban backed Injective Protocol and purchased the entire town of Mustang, Texas.
2021: Accepting Dogecoin
Since early 2021, Mark Cuban has invested in Dogecoin and accepted it as payment for Dallas Mavericks merchandise and tickets.
January 2022: Launch of Cost Plus Drugs
In January 2022, Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs, aiming to lower generic drug prices for consumers in the U.S.
November 2023: Announcement of Last Season on Shark Tank
In November 2023, Mark Cuban announced that the show's 16th season would be his last.
November 28, 2023: Cuban Selling Mavericks Share to Miriam Adelson
On November 28, 2023, it was reported that Mark Cuban was in the process of selling his share in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson.
December 27, 2023: NBA Approves Sale of Mavericks to Adelson and Dumont
On December 27, 2023, the NBA approved the sale of a controlling 73% interest in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson, Sivian, and Patrick Dumont.
February 2025: Net Worth Estimate
In February 2025, Forbes estimated Mark Cuban's net worth to be $5.7 billion.
