E-Paper
Mark Cuban announces departure from Shark Tank after sixteen seasons of mentoring: 'Gonna miss it'
On X, Mark Cuban announced his final Shark Tank episode airs Friday as he steps away to spend more time with his family.
Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and long-time host of ABC’s hit reality show Shark Tank, has announced that this Friday will mark his final episode on the series. Cuban took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his bittersweet news with fans.
(Also read: Mark Cuban's fitting response to Elon Musk over his call for more positive content on X)
“My last @ABCSharkTank is this Friday. Gonna miss it. But it was time to move on. Make sure to watch!” he wrote.
Check out the post here:
Since joining Shark Tank full-time in 2012, Cuban has been one of the show’s most prominent “sharks” — angel investors who interrogate hopeful entrepreneurs about their business ideas before deciding whether to invest.
A heartfelt decision to prioritise family
Cuban revealed in November 2023 that the show’s ongoing sixteenth season would be his last. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he explained that his departure was motivated by a desire to spend more quality time with his family.
“I just want to have a couple summers with my teens before they go off on their own,” Cuban shared in an email. “Nothing to do with the show. I love it. I love being on it.”
He also told People magazine that the demanding shooting schedule often clashed with family time during the summer months. “We always shoot in June and September, and in June, right when they're finishing school, I have to come here,” he said.
“When they were young it was like, ‘Okay, we're going to wait for Dad.’ Now that they're teenagers, they aren’t waiting for Dad at all, and in September they've just gotten back to school,” he added. “I want to be there for that.”
(Also read: Mark Cuban, Naval Ravikant congratulate Elon Musk on Donald Trump’s US election win)
Still active beyond the tank
Despite stepping away from Shark Tank, Cuban is far from retiring. Over the past year, he has remained politically outspoken, endorsing Former Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election and voicing criticism of Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
In fact, Cuban recently praised a Trump executive order aimed at lowering drug prices, a topic close to his heart. Having launched his own low-cost online pharmacy, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Co., in 2022, he commented on the potential savings.
“Gotta be honest. The @realDonaldTrump EO on healthcare and in particular, drug pricing could save hundreds of billions,” Cuban posted on X. “Put me in coach! I’m here to help.”
