Mark Cuban might not be leaving the Shark Tank set swimming in extra cash from his ventures on the show. But his investments are panning out just as planned.
Responding to a question at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Dinner in Las Vegas, Cuban dismissed the idea that his 15-plus years of bidding as a Shark haven’t paid off.
In 2022, the billionaire admitted that his portfolio of Shark Tank investments was making a net loss. “On a cash basis, I’m getting beat,” he said on the Full Send Podcast, adding that his biggest loss was his backing of Breathometer, a smartphone-app breathalyzer, which he estimated cost him “probably a million dollars.”
While he maintains that it was a decent product, he noted that he saw posts of the founder going on lavish vacations on Instagram. “Next thing you know, all the money is gone,” he said.
Cuban claims to have invested around $29 million in at least 85 companies during his time on Shark Tank. Now he is boasting they have panned out—both when it comes to cash and market value.
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Mark Cuban’s prized fish
“On a mark-to-market basis, I’m killing it,” he told Fortune.
"Mark-to-market" refers to “an accounting practice that involves adjusting the value of an asset to reflect its value as determined by current market conditions,” per Investopedia. In other words, it’s about how much Cuban’s original bids paid off over time as the company appreciated in value.
Certain startups proved especially lucrative for Cuban. He pointed to BeatBox Beverages as a prime example: "I put a million dollars into BeatBox Beverages and I got a third of the company.”
"I've been diluted some since," he added—but the alcoholic-drink company has had a winning year and generated nearly $200 million annually in revenue.
Dude Wipes, too, has proven to be a long-term success for Cuban. “I gave $200,000 for 20% of Dude Wipes,” he said, adding that they’re now “worth $300 million.”
He listed other investments like overnight-oats company Mush and sports apparel company Gameday Couture, and “all these different Shark Tank companies that are worth over $100 million that I own a chunk of” as part of his payday. The latest Forbes estimate clocks Cuban’s worth at $5.7 billion.
“But I don’t count that because it’s not cash,” he concluded. “I’m f---ing crushing it on the market.”
