Mark Cuban has revealed his plans to leave the unscripted ABC series Shark Tank after almost 15 years after joining the show in 2011. But fans don’t have to worry; he will not depart the show quickly and will still finish the upcoming 16th season in 2025. So, what’s the reason behind the sudden exit? Read on.
Mark Cuban Reveals Plan to Leave Shark Tank
Mark Cuban initially revealed his plan to leave Shark Tank in an All the Smoke podcast episode that aired last week. The businessman and film producer told the hosts and former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that it was already time for him to move on.
“This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year,” he said. “So, I got one more year to go.”
He then told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to leave in 2025 and spend the summers with his teens before they officially went off on their own. Hence, his exit has nothing to do with the reality TV series.
Mark Cuban said he's leaving Shark Tank after 16 seasons pic.twitter.com/00uJvfxTmC
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“I just want to have a couple summers with my teens before they go off on their own,” he said. “Nothing to do with the show. I love it. I love being on it. I love what [it] represents and how it motivates entrepreneurs around the world.”
However, as of this writing, ABC has yet to confirm Cuban’s exit.
Mark Cuban Shares Love for Shark Tank
Mark Cuban shares his love for the show after appearing as a guest in the second season and becoming a full-time part of Shark Tank in the third season.
He’s thankful for the series’ impact, conveying that the American dream is alive and well. Doing the show for years makes him feel like they have trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs, with different people coming from different walks of life appearing on the show to do their business and get a deal.
Mark Cuban says he is leaving “Shark Tank” after the popular ABC show’s next season wraps up, ending an over 10-year-long tenure during which he’s invested at least $29 million in at least 85 companies whose founders appeared on the show, per Forbes.
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) November 28, 2023
“It’s going to inspire generations of kids,” he continued.
Now, after appearing on Shark Tank for over a decade, the billionaire revealed people would approach him, saying they were watching him when they were 10. And despite realizing his age, he’s in awe of thinking they have been helping them.
Mark Cuban Reveals Experience as a Shark on Shark Tank
Talking about his experience as a Shark on Shark Tank, the 65-year-old revealed that the harder they try to sell, the worse deal it can be. The same thing can even be said when the backstory gets longer.
“Meaning, the minute you start telling me how hard it was for you? It’s hard for every motherf—ing entrepreneur,” he continued.
Cuban added that he doesn’t want to hear others’ stories. Instead, he wants to know about their business, why they’re going to be successful, the difference, and how they stand out, as he continuously looks for ideas.
BREAKING: Mark Cuban has bought out the wretched witch of the west John Stanton to become the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/jFsBrRz80r
— Jake | Raise The Trident 🏳️🌈 (@RaiseTheTrident) November 27, 2023
As this isn’t the first time Mark Cuban hinted at his plan to leave Shark Tank, he may have already intended to end his time in the series after being part of it for over a decade. As a business person, it’s easy to see why he has stayed that long on the show and has been declaring his love for it. But everything has come to an end, as well as his time in the series. As an investor himself, Cuban may have a lot on his plate that he wants to put his focus on. And as he’s already a billionaire, with several businesses and investments here and there, losing this one gig may not be a biggie for him.
