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{{Infobox person
|name = Mark Cuban
|image = Cuban.jpg
|caption = Mark Cuban with the [[Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy|Larry O'Brien trophy]] at the [[Dallas Mavericks]] championship parade
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|7|31}}
|birth_place = [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|ethnicity = Jewish
|death_date =
|death_place =
|occupation = [[Ownership|Owner]] of [[Dallas Mavericks]], co-owner of [[2929 Entertainment]], and Chairman of [[HDNet]]
|alma_mater = [[Indiana University (Bloomington)|Indiana University]]
|networth = {{profit}} US$2.5&nbsp;billion (2011)<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-cuban Mark Cuban profile page] Forbes.com. Accessed April 2011</ref>
|spouse = {{marriage|Tiffany Stewart|2002}}
|children = 2 daughters, 1 son<ref name="Zillgitt">{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/mavericks/2010-02-11-cuban-all-star-game_N.htm|work=USA Today|title=Maverick owner Cuban gains in stature among NBA owners|first=Jeff|last=Zillgitt|date=February 12, 2010|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>}}

'''Mark Cuban''' (born July 31, 1958)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859909,00.html|work=Time|title=Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban|date=November 18, 2008|accessdate=May 12, 2010|first1=Alex|last1=Altman|first2=Kate|last2=Pickert|first3=M.J.|last3=Stephey}}</ref> is an American [[business magnate]] and [[investor]]. He is the owner of the [[National Basketball Association]]'s [[Dallas Mavericks]],<ref name="nba_bio">[http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/cuban_bio000329.html NBA biography]</ref> [[Landmark Theatres]], and [[Magnolia Pictures]], and the chairman of the [[High-definition television|HDTV]] [[cable network]] [[HDNet]].<ref>[http://www.hd.net/pressrelease.html?2003-12-16-01.html HDNet Press Release dated December 16, 2003]</ref> He is also a part-time "shark" [[investor]] on the television series ''[[Shark Tank (TV series)|Shark Tank]]''. In 2011, Cuban wrote an e-book, "How to Win at the Sport of Business", in which he chronicles his life experiences in business and sports.

==Biography==
Cuban was born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]<ref name="bigger">Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_476159.html ''Cuban hoping to work his magic here someday'']. October 22, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/03/news/newsmakers/mark_cuban.fortune/ Mark Cuban: Web 1.0's Richie Rich needs some respect]</ref> and grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of [[Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Mt. Lebanon]], in a [[Jew]]ish<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3597532 ESPN The Magazine.] Retrieved on July 14, 2011.</ref> working-class family. His last name was shortened from "Chabenisky" when his [[Russians|Russian]] grandparents landed on [[Ellis Island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/03/news/newsmakers/mark_cuban.fortune/|title=Mark Cuban wants a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T|author=Devin Leonard|date=October 4, 2007|publisher=CNN}}</ref> Cuban's father Norton was an automobile [[upholstery|upholsterer]].<ref name="bigger" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Cuban a unique NBA owner|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/heat/content/sports/epaper/2006/06/08/w17c_cuban_0608.html|work=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|author=Tom D'Angelo |date=June 8, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnstrubel.com/publishedwork.asp?ItemID=620|title=Mark Cuban: Pittsburgh's Dream Owner|author=John Strubel |work=TheBaseballReport.com}}</ref> Cuban's first step into the business world occurred at age 12, when he sold garbage bags to pay for a pair of expensive basketball shoes.<ref name="bigger" /><ref name="austin360">[http://www.austin360.com/movies/content/movies/stories/2006/05/21cuban.html The Maverick]</ref> While in school, he held a variety of jobs, including bartender, [[disco]] dancing instructor, and party promoter. He paid for college by [[Philatelic investment|collecting and selling stamps]], and once gained about $1,100 from starting a [[chain letter]].<ref name="bigger" />

Rather than attending high school for his senior year, Cuban enrolled as a full time student at the [[University of Pittsburgh]]. After one year at the University of Pittsburgh, he transferred to [[Indiana University (Bloomington)|Indiana University]] in [[Bloomington, Indiana]] and graduated in 1981 with a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[Administration (business)|business administration]].<ref>[http://alumni.indiana.edu/magazine/issues/200411/ Mark Cuban in Indiana University Alumni Association,Indiana Alumni Magazine]</ref>

===Family===
In September 2002, Cuban married Tiffany Stewart, an advertising executive, in [[Barbados]],<ref>[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-67750771.html Marriage to Tiffany Stewart]</ref> with a wedding reception at the [[American Airlines Center]]. Their first daughter, Alexis Sofia, was born on September 25, 2005; their second daughter, Alyssa, was born in 2007.<ref>[http://www.dallaschild.com/showarticle.asp?artid=364 Cuban's family]</ref> Tiffany and Mark also have a son born in early 2010.<ref name="Zillgitt"/> The family lives in the [[Preston Hollow, Dallas, Texas|Preston Hollow]] area of Dallas, in a {{convert|24000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} mansion.<ref>[http://www.wtn.net/2004/bio408.html Cuban family mansion in Dallas]</ref>

==Early career==
In 1982, Cuban moved to [[Dallas, Texas]]. Cuban first found work as a bartender,<ref>[http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/7324322564475288 Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, Part 1]</ref><ref name="once">[http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000033045010/ "Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, You only have to be right once!"]</ref> then as a salesperson for Your Business Software, one of the first PC software retailers in Dallas. He was terminated less than a year later, after meeting with a client to procure new business instead of opening the store.<ref>[http://blogmaverick.com/2004/04/25/success-and-motivation-part-2/ "Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, Part 2" ]</ref>

Cuban started a company, MicroSolutions, with support from his previous customers from Your Business Software. MicroSolutions was initially a [[Systems integrator|system integrator]] and software [[reseller]]. The company was an early proponent of technologies such as [[Carbon Copy (software)|Carbon Copy]], [[IBM Lotus Notes|Lotus Notes]], and [[CompuServe]].<ref>varbusiness.com: [http://www.varbusiness.com/sections/columns/columns.jhtml?articleId=18806438 ''Mark Cuban: A Success Story You Can Relate To'']</ref> One of the company's largest clients was [[Perot Systems]].<ref>[http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000150023709/ BlogMaverick: A little bit of history....Lotus Notes]</ref> In 1990, Cuban sold MicroSolutions to [[CompuServe]]—then a subsidiary of [[H&R Block]]—for $6&nbsp;million.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/money/2004-04-25-cuban_x.htm Losing's not an option for Cuban]</ref> He retained approximately $2&nbsp;million after taxes on the deal.<ref>[http://www.itmanagersjournal.com/feature/300 A 'must read' by Maverick owner Mark Cuban]</ref>

In 1995, Cuban and fellow Indiana University alumnus [[Todd Wagner]] started Audionet, combining their mutual interest in college basketball and webcasting. With a single server and an [[Integrated Services Digital Network|ISDN]] line,<ref>[http://www.computerpoweruser.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/archive/c0212/62c12web/62c12web.asp&guid= Q&A With Mark Cuban]</ref> Audionet became [[Broadcast.com]] in 1998. By 1999, Broadcast.com had grown to 330 employees and $13.5&nbsp;million in revenue for the second quarter.<ref>[http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/html/bl0636.html Gale Group Newsletter Database]</ref> In 1999, during the [[Dot-com bubble|dot com boom]], Broadcast.com was acquired by [[Yahoo!]] for $5.9&nbsp;billion in Yahoo! stock.<ref>[http://news.com.com/Yahoo+completes+Broadcast.com+acquisition/2100-1023_3-228762.html Yahoo! completes acquisition of Broadcast.com]</ref>

==Business career==
After the sale of Broadcast.com, Cuban diversified his wealth to avoid exposure to a market crash.<ref>[http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/63/fasttalk.html What Mark Cuban is doing with his $1&nbsp;billion]</ref> As of 2011, Cuban is No. 459 on ''[[Forbes]]''{{'}} list of "World's Richest People", with a net worth of $2.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-cuban Mark Cuban profile page at Forbes.com]; accessed April 2011</ref> The ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of Records]]'' credits Cuban with the "largest single [[Electronic commerce|e-commerce]] transaction", after he paid $40&nbsp;million for his [[Gulfstream V]] jet in October 1999.<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Largest-single-e-commerce-transaction/53736.htm Guinness World Records]</ref>

Cuban continues to work with Wagner in another venture, [[2929 Entertainment]], which provides [[vertical integration|vertically integrated]] production and distribution of films and video.<ref>[http://www.2929entertainment.com/Index.cfm?FuseAction=Page&PageID=1000012 Holdings]</ref>

On September 24, 2003, the firm purchased [[Landmark Theatres]], a chain of 58 [[Art film|arthouse]] movie theaters.<ref>[http://www.boingboing.net/2003/09/25/marc_cuban_buys_land.html Mark Cuban buys Landmark Theatres]</ref> The company is also responsible for the updated version of the TV show ''[[Star Search]]'', which was broadcast on [[CBS]].<ref name="imdb2929">[http://imdb.com/company/co0005596/ 2929 Productions at IMDb]</ref> 2929 Entertainment released ''[[Bubble (film)|Bubble]]'', a movie directed by [[Steven Soderbergh]], in theaters and on DVD on the same day in January 2006 as a [[simultaneous release]].

Cuban was featured on the cover of the November 2003 premiere issue of ''Best'' magazine<ref>[http://www.beststuff.com/article.php3?story_id=5789&submit=email Best Stuff and Primedia Launch Best]</ref> announcing the arrival of [[High Definition Television]]. Cuban also was co-founder (with Philip Garvin) of [[HDNet]], the first high-definition [[satellite]] television network.<ref>[http://www.hd.net/pressrelease.html?2001-09-05-01.html HDNet, Only All-High Definition National Television Network, Launches on DIRECTV]</ref>

In February 2004, Cuban announced that he would be working with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television to produce a reality television series, ''[[The Benefactor]]''. The premise of the six-episode series involved 16 contestants vying to win $1&nbsp;million by participating in various contests, with their performances being judged by Cuban. It premiered on September 13, 2004 but due to poor ratings was canceled before the full season aired.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2004-10-14 IMDb: The Benefactor]</ref>

Cuban financially supported [[Grokster]] in the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] case, ''[[MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.|MGM v. Grokster]]''.<ref>[http://pcworld.about.com/news/Mar282005id120198.htm Mark Cuban to Finance Grokster's Fight]</ref> He is also a partner in [[Synergy Sports Technology]], a web based basketball scouting and video delivery tool, used by many NBA teams.

He has also spearheaded ventures in the [[social software]] and [[Distributed Networking]] industries. He's an owner of [[IceRocket]], a search engine which scours the [[blogosphere]] for content.<ref>[http://news.com.com/Mark+Cuban+to+relaunch+IceRocket/2100-1032_3-5797070.html Mark Cuban to relaunch IceRocket]</ref> Cuban was also a partner in [[RedSwoosh]]<ref>[http://www.siliconbeat.com/entries/2006/07/05/redswoosh_latest_video_filesharing_entrant_to_raise_5m.html RedSwoosh latest video file-sharing entrant, to raise $5M+]</ref>—a company which uses peer-to-peer technology to deliver rich media, including video and software to a user's PC, later acquired by [[Akamai Technologies|Akamai]]. He was also an investor in [[Weblogs, Inc.]] which was acquired by [[AOL]].<ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2005/10/05/aol-acquires-weblog-inc/ AOL Acquires Weblogs, Inc.]</ref>

In 2005, Cuban invested in Brondell Inc., a San Francisco startup making a high-tech toilet seat called a [[Swash (bidet)|Swash]] that works like a bidet but mounts on a standard toilet. "People tend to approach technology the same way, whether it's in front of them, or behind them," Cuban joked.<ref>[http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/dec/1228243.htm Clean living]</ref> He also invested in Goowy Media Inc., a San Diego internet software startup. In April 2006, [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] announced that Cuban would host his own weekly radio talk show, Mark Cuban's ''Radio Maverick''.<ref>[http://www.sys-con.com/read/211681.htm Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban to Host Talk Show Exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio]</ref> However, the show has not materialized.

In July 2006, Cuban financed Sharesleuth.com,<ref>[http://www.paidcontent.org/mark-cuban-invests-in-new-investigative-journalism-site Mark Cuban invests in new investigative journalism site]</ref> a web site created by former St. Louis Post-Dispatch investigative reporter Christopher Carey to uncover fraud and misinformation in publicly traded companies.
Experimenting with a new business model for making online journalism financially viable, Cuban disclosed that he would take positions in the shares of companies mentioned in Sharesleuth.com in advance of publication. Business and legal analysts questioned the appropriateness of shorting a stock prior to making public pronouncements which are likely to result in losses in that stock's value. Cuban insisted that the practice is legal in view of full disclosure.<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/4109641.html Cuban's made his agenda crystal clear]</ref><ref>[http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/15259590.htm And it looked so good]</ref><ref>[http://moneyisgood.wordpress.com/2006/08/11/sharesleuthcom/ Money is Good]</ref>

In April 2007, Cuban partnered with [[Mascot Books]] to publish his first children's book, ''Let's Go, Mavs!''. In November 2011, he wrote a 30,000-word e-book, "How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It", which he described as "a way to get motivated".<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204517204577046430928804826.html In E-Books, a New Player ]</ref>

In October 2008, Cuban started Bailoutsleuth.com<ref>[http://www.Bailoutsleuth.com Mark Cuban's online resource for the US government bailout of financial institutions]</ref> as a grassroots, online portal for oversight over the US government's $700&nbsp;billion dollar "bailout" of financial institutions.

In April 2011, Cuban placed Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures up for sale, but he added that he wouldn't sell the companies unless the offer was "very, very compelling".<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2011/04/20/cuban-lists-landmark-and-magnolia-for.html Dallas Business Journal.] Retrieved on April 20, 2011.</ref>

===Magnolia Pictures===
Cuban owns a film distributor called [[Magnolia Pictures]]. Through Magnolia, he financed the film ''[[Redacted (film)|Redacted]]'', a [[docudrama]] based on the [[Mahmudiyah killings]], the March 2006 rape, murder, and burning of 14-year-old Iraqi girl [[Mahmudiyah killings#Victims|Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi]] and the murder of her parents and younger sister by U.S. soldiers. Two of the soldiers were convicted and three pleaded guilty, receiving sentences up to 110 years.<ref name="greenNews">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News |date=May 7, 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8039257.stm|title=US ex-soldier guilty of Iraq rape}}</ref> In September 2007, Cuban, in his capacity as owner of Magnolia Pictures, "redacted" disturbing photographs from the concluding moments of the film, citing copyrights/permissions issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2007/10/11/video_of_the_da_121.php|title=De Palma defends redacted|accessdate=December 13, 2007}}</ref>

Also in 2007, Cuban was reportedly interested in distributing an edition of the film ''[[Loose Change (film)|Loose Change]]'', which posits a [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] [[9/11 conspiracy theories|conspiracy theory]], through Magnolia, with [[Charlie Sheen]] narrating. Cuban told the ''[[New York Post]]'', "We are having discussions about distributing the existing video with Charlie's involvement as a narrator, not in making a new feature. We are also looking for productions with an opposing viewpoint. We like controversial subjects, but we are agnostic to which side the controversy comes from."<ref>http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/item_YIXNBIp6gXCY7JzIdwd7jJ;jsessionid=41A1D6C35CA3B41854988DDBCFFFEBC0</ref>

===Insider trading allegation===
On November 17, 2008, it was reported that 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, now known as [[Copernic]].<ref>[http://www.sec.gov/litigation/complaints/2008/comp20810.pdf SEC civil suit against Cuban]</ref> 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.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122693827604333637.html ''Wall Street Journal'' report on insider trading accusations]</ref> The SEC claims that Cuban ordered the sale of his holdings in Mamma.com after he had been confidentially approached by the company to participate in a transaction likely to dilute shares of current shareholders. Cuban disputes the charges, saying he had not agreed to keep the information secret.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE4AH8Y120081118 ''Reuters'' report on insider trading accusations]</ref> On his blog, Cuban contended the facts were false and that the investigation was "a product of gross abuse of prosecutorial discretion".<ref>[http://blogmaverick.com/2008/11/17/the-sec/ Mark Cuban's personal weblog]</ref> ''DealBook'', a section of ''[[The New York Times]]'', reported through an anonymous source that Cuban believed the investigation was motivated by an SEC employee having taken offense to his interest in possibly distributing the film ''[[Loose Change (film)|Loose Change]]''.<ref>http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/a-purported-war-of-words-between-cuban-and-the-sec/</ref>

In July 2009 the U.S. District Court dismissed the charges against Cuban. But the SEC appealed, and in September 2010 an appeals court said that the district court had erred and that further proceedings would be necessary to address the merits of the suit.<ref>[http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/court-reinstates-s-e-c-case-against-mark-cuban/ Mark Cuban to Face S.E.C. Insider Case Again] New York Times, September 21, 2010.</ref>

==Dallas Mavericks==
===Ownership===
[[File:Mark Cuban.jpg|thumb|right|Cuban became the owner of the [[Dallas Mavericks]] in 2000.]]
On January 4, 2000, Cuban purchased a majority stake in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s [[Dallas Mavericks]] for $285&nbsp;million from [[H. Ross Perot, Jr.]]<ref>[http://alumni.indiana.edu/magazine/issues/200411/cuban.shtml Cuban, unembargoed]</ref><ref>[http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/sale_press_conference000120.html NBA press release]</ref>

In the 20 years before Cuban bought the team, the Mavs had a winning percentage of 40%, and playoff record of 21–32.<ref name="mavstats">[http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=dal&lg=n Dallas Mavericks 1980–]</ref><ref>[http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/teams/DIRECT095.htm Sports Network]</ref> In the ten years following, the team won 69% of their regular season games and reached the playoffs in each of those seasons. The Mavs playoff record with Cuban is 49 wins and 57 losses, including their first trip to the [[NBA Finals]] in 2006, where they lost to the [[Miami Heat]].<ref>[http://www.nba.com/finals2006/ NBA.com: Finals 2006 Mavs lose to [[Miami Heat]] ]</ref> On June 12, 2011, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat to win the NBA Finals. Historically, NBA team owners publicly play more passive roles and watch basketball games from skyboxes; Cuban sits alongside fans while donning team jerseys. Cuban flies his private [[Gulfstream V]] to attend road games.<ref>[http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/atoz/article_998115.php All fun and games for Cuban]</ref>

In May 2010, [[H. Ross Perot, Jr.]], who retained 5% ownership, filed a lawsuit against Cuban, alleging the franchise was insolvent or in imminent danger of insolvency. In June 2010, Cuban responded in a court filing maintaining Perot is wrongly seeking money to offset some $100&nbsp;million in losses on the Victory Park real estate development.<ref>[http://cbs11tv.com/sports/Mark.Cuban.Response.2.1767538.html Cuban Responds To Perot Jr.'s Mavs], June 23, 2010, [http://cbs11tv.com http://cbs11tv.com]; retrieved July 19, 2010</ref>

===NBA policy controversies===
Cuban's ownership has been the source of extensive media attention and controversy involving league policies.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/07/AR2006060702410.html The NBA's True Maverick]</ref>

Cuban has been fined by the NBA, mostly for critical statements about the league and referees, at least $1,665,000 for 13 incidents.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=2098577&page=1 ABCnews: Cuban Slammed with $250,000 Fine]</ref> In a June 30, 2006 interview, Mavericks player [[Dirk Nowitzki]] said about Cuban:<ref name="NowitzkiCriticism">{{cite news|first=Eddie|last=Sefko|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/070106dnspomavslede.c1dd04.html|title=Dirk to Cuban: Chill out|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|date=July 1, 2006|accessdate=July 4, 2006}}</ref>
{{quote|He's got to learn how to control himself as well as the players do. We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too. He's got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game. I don't think that helps us&nbsp;... He sits right there by our bench. I think it's a bit much. But we all told him this before. It's nothing new. The game starts, and he's already yelling at them. So he needs to know how to control himself a little.}}

In an interview with the [[Associated Press]], Cuban said that he matches NBA fines with charitable donations of equal amounts.<ref>''Cuban fined $250,000 for tirade''. The Associated Press. June 21, 2006</ref> In a nationally publicized incident, he criticized the league's manager of officials, [[Ed T. Rush]], saying that he "wouldn't be able to manage a [[Dairy Queen]]". [[Dairy Queen]] management took offense to Cuban's comments and invited him to manage a Dairy Queen restaurant for a day. Cuban accepted the company's invitation and worked for a day at a Dairy Queen in [[Coppell, Texas]], where fans lined up in the street to get a Blizzard from the owner of the Mavericks.<ref>{{cite news|last=Aron|first=Jaime|title=Sweet revenge: billionaire Mavericks owner dishes ice cream|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/01/17/spt_sweet_revenge.html|accessdate=June 16, 2011|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|agency=Associated Press|date=January 17, 2002}}</ref>

During the [[2005–06 NBA season]], Cuban started a booing campaign when former Mavericks player [[Michael Finley]] returned to play against the Mavs as a member of the [[San Antonio Spurs]].<ref>[http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/14627963.htm Finley's 'act' turns off Cuban]</ref> In a playoff series between the Mavericks and Spurs, Cuban cursed Spurs forward [[Bruce Bowen]]<ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA052206.6D.BKNspurs.bowen.d005cbd.html Spurs' Bowen adds to Dallas' frustration]</ref> and was fined $200,000 by the NBA for rushing onto the court and criticizing NBA officials.<ref>[http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-mavericks-cubanfined&prov=ap&type=lgns Yahoo! Sports]</ref> 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]].

In February 2007, Cuban publicly criticized [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|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]].<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/021007dnspodirkwade.1586725.html "Nowitzki won't comment on Wade's criticism"]</ref><ref>[http://www.blogmaverick.com/2006/06/22/i-know-you-are-but-what-am-i/ "I know you are, but what am I"], blogmaverick.com</ref>

On January 16, 2009, after a reviewing, the league fined Cuban $25,000 for yelling at [[Denver Nuggets]] player [[J. R. Smith]] at the end of the first half on a Mavericks-at-Nuggets game played on January 13.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3839196 NBA fines Mavs owner Cuban $25,000]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?pnum=1&bfromind=7408&eeid=6330930&_sitecat=1526&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=1&ck=&ch=sp&rg=blsadstrgt&_lid=332&_lnm=tg+sp+topnews|title=Cuban fined|publisher=att.com|accessdate=Jan. 16, 2009}}</ref> Cuban was apparently incensed that Smith had thrown an elbow that barely missed Mavericks forward [[Antoine Wright]].<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3836664 Cuban may still face punishment for spat]</ref> Cuban offered to match the fine with a donation to a charity of Smith's choosing. Cuban stated that if he doesn't hear from Smith that he will donate the money to the [[NHL Players' Association]] Goals and Dreams Fund in the names of [[Todd Bertuzzi]] and [[Steve Moore]].<ref>http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/18/nuggets-report-inauguration-buzz/</ref> In May 2009, Cuban made a reference to the Denver Nuggets being "thugs" after a loss to the Nuggets in game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The statement was geared towards the Nuggets and their fans. As he passed [[Kenyon Martin]]'s mother, who was seated near Cuban as he left the arena, he pointed at her and said, "that includes your son". This controversial comment revisited media attention on Cuban yet again. Cuban issued an apology the next day referencing the poor treatment of away fans in arenas around the league. The league issued a statement stating that they would not fine him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3841384|title=Cuban posts donation plans on blog|publisher=ESPN |accessdate=January 19, 2009}}</ref>

On May 22, 2010, Cuban was fined $100,000 for comments he made during a television interview about trying to sign [[LeBron James]].<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5210828 Cuban fined for LeBron James comments]</ref>

==Other sports businesses==
In 2005, Cuban expressed interest in buying the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].<ref>[http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_459794.html Cuban, Marino to buy Pens?]</ref> In 2006, Cuban joined an investment group along with [[Dan Marino]], Kevin Millevoi, Andy Murstein, and Walnut Capital principals Gregg Perelman and Todd Reidbord to attempt to acquire the Penguins.<ref name="Pittsburgh Post-Gazette">{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06179/701659-61.stm|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|first=Shelly|last=Anderson|title=Cuban, Marino join N.Y. group in bid for the Penguins|date=June 28, 2006}}</ref> The franchise ultimately rejected the group's bid.

At [[World Wrestling Entertainment]]'s ''[[Survivor Series (2003)|2003 Survivor Series]]'', Cuban was involved in a [[Kayfabe|staged altercation]] with RAW GM [[Eric Bischoff]] and RAW Superstar [[Randy Orton]].<ref>[http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2003_/articles/1069104275.php Superstars upset over Mark Cuban segment, SD treated differently, more]</ref> On December 7, 2009, Cuban acted as the [[List of WWE Raw guest hosts|guest host]] of ''[[WWE Raw]]'', where he got revenge on [[Randy Orton]] for his attack on him at Survivor Series 2003, where he was the guest referee in his match against [[Kofi Kingston]] when he gave Kingston a fast count. He then announced Orton would face Kingston at [[WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2009)|TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs]]. At the end of the show, Cuban was slammed through a table by then No.1 contender for the [[WWE Championship]], [[Sheamus O'Shaunessy|Sheamus]].<ref>[http://us.wwe.com/shows/raw/articles/12159150/upcomingguesthosts WWE website]</ref>

On September 12, 2007, Cuban said that he was in talks with [[Vince McMahon|Vince]], [[Linda McMahon|Linda]], [[Stephanie McMahon|Stephanie]], and [[Shane McMahon]] of [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] in creating a [[mixed martial arts]] company that would compete with [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]].<ref name="cubansees">{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=3017701|title=Cuban sees bright future for MMA|year=2007|accessdate=Sept. 14, 2007|publisher=[[ESPN]]/[[Sherdog]]}}</ref> Cuban is now a [[Bond (finance)|bondholder]] of [[Zuffa]], the UFC's parent company.<ref>[http://mmapayout.com/2009/07/cuban-now-a-zuffa-bondholder/ Cuban Now a Zuffa Bondholder]</ref>

Cuban followed up his intentions by organizing "[[HDNet Fights]]", a mixed martial arts promotion which airs exclusively on HDNet and premiered on October 13, 2007 with a card headlined by a fight between [[Erik Paulson]] and Jeff Ford as well as fights featuring veterans [[Drew Fickett]] and [[Justin Eilers]].<ref>[http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=9477 HDNet Fights]</ref>

Since 2009, Cuban has been a panelist at the annual [[MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference]]<ref>http://www.sloansportsconference.com/</ref>

In April, 2010, Cuban loaned the newly formed [[United Football League (2009)|UFL]] football league $5 million dollars. He did not own a franchise and he was not involved in day-to-day operations of the league nor of any of its teams.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5131063 Cuban is newest league owner in UFL]. [[KESN]]. Retrieved 2010-04-24.</ref> In January 2011, he filed a federal lawsuit against the UFL for their failure to repay the loan by the October 6, 2010 deadline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/01/mark_cuban_files_federal_suit.php|title=Mark Cuban Files Federal Suit to Get Back His $5 Million Loan to the United Football League|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|first=Robert|last=Wilonsky|date=2011-01-13|accessdate=2011-01-13}}</ref>

===Major League Baseball===
Cuban has repeatedly expressed interest in owning a [[Major League Baseball]] franchise, and has thus far unsuccessfully attempted to purchase three franchises. In 2008, he submitted an initial bid of $1.3 billion to buy the [[Chicago Cubs]] and was invited to participate in a second round of bidding along with several other potential ownership groups.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3503599 Report: Cubs cut number of bids to at least three, including Cuban]. ESPN. July 24, 2008</ref> Cuban was not selected to participate in the final bidding process in January 2009. In August 2010, Cuban actively bid to buy the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]. Cuban stopped bids after 1:00 A.M., having placed bids totaling almost 600 million dollars. He had outbid a competing ownership group led by ex-pitcher and Rangers executive [[Nolan Ryan]], but lost the deal before the Rangers played the [[San Francisco Giants]] in the [[2010 World Series]].

In January 2012, Cuban placed an initial bid for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], but was eliminated before the second round of bidding. Cuban felt that the value of the Dodgers' TV rights deal drove the price of the franchise too high.<ref>http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/34631046</ref> He had previously said that he would not be interested in buying the franchise at $1 billion<ref>http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/feed/2011-04/dodgers-ownership/story/mark-cuban-wont-pay-1-billion-for-dodgers</ref>, telling the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' in November 2011 "I don’t think the Dodgers franchise is worth twice what the Rangers are worth."<ref>[http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/other_mlb/view/20120128mark_cuban_dennis_gilbert_eliminated_from_dodgers_bidding_race Boston Herald 01-28-2012]</ref> However, as the bidding process drew near many speculated that the sale would surpass $1.5 billion, with [[Jon Heyman]] of [[CBS Sports]] reporting via [[Twitter]] that at least one bid in the $1-1.5 billion range was placed in the initial round of the bidding process.

Cuban also previously expressed interest in becoming a minority owner of the [[New York Mets]] after owner [[Fred Wilpon]] announced in 2011 that he was planning to sell up to a 25% stake in the team.<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110203&content_id=16561128&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb''Cuban willing to talk if approached by Mets'']. MLB.com. February 3, 2011</ref>

==Political leanings==
Cuban is an admirer of author/philosopher [[Ayn Rand]]'s ''[[The Fountainhead]]''.<ref>[http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nba/mark-cubans-crush-on-ayn-rand-137464.php Mark Cuban's Crush On Ayn Rand]</ref> About Rand's novel ''[[The Fountainhead]]'', he said: "[It] was incredibly motivating to me. It encouraged me to think as an individual, take risks to reach my goals, and responsibility for my successes and failures. I loved it."<ref>[http://www.slate.com/id/2130198/ My First Literary Crush]</ref> His political views lean towards [[libertarianism]].<ref>[http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/mark-cuban.html Mark Cuban – Libertarian]</ref> He held a position on the centrist [[Unity08]] political organization's advisory council.<ref>unity08.com: [http://www.unity08.com/about/advisorycouncil Advisory Council]</ref> While leaning towards libertarianism, Cuban posted an entry on his blog claiming paying more taxes to be the most patriotic thing someone can do.<ref>http://blogmaverick.com/2011/09/19/the-most-patriotic-thing-you-can-do-2/</ref>

Cuban has donated $7,000 to political campaigns, $6,000 going to [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Orrin Hatch]] of Utah. $1,000 went to [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] California [[United States Congress|Congresswoman]] [[Zoe Lofgren]].<ref>[http://newsmeat.com/sports_political_donations/Mark_Cuban.php Cuban's political contributions]</ref>

On February 8, 2008, Cuban voiced his support for the [[Draft Bloomberg|draft]] movement attempting to convince New York City Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] to run in the [[United States presidential election, 2008|U.S. presidential election of 2008]] on his blog. Cuban concluded a post lamenting the current state of U.S. politics: "Are you listening, Mayor Bloomberg? For less than the cost of opening a tent pole movie, you can change the status quo."<ref>[http://www.blogmaverick.com/2008/02/08/my-presidential-endorsement/ Cuban's political endorsements]</ref>

==Fallen Patriot Fund==
Cuban started the '''Fallen Patriot Fund''' to help families of U.S. military persons killed or injured during the [[Iraq War]], personally matching the first $1&nbsp;million in contributions with funds from the Mark Cuban Foundation, which is run by his brother Brian Cuban.<ref>[http://www.fallenpatriotfund.org/4_16_03.html Fallen Patriot Fund website]</ref><ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20101004-Mark-Cuban-s-brother-Brian-is-7863.ece Brian Cuban Profile]</ref>

=="The Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan"==
On February 9, 2009, Cuban announced his own "stimulus plan", involving what he called "an open source exchange of ideas."<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/sports/custom/morningbriefing/la-sp-random19-2009feb19,0,7565577.story ''Los Angeles Times'' report on Cuban's "stimulus plan"]{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> His plan entails individuals posting ideas that fit certain criteria (breaking even within 60 days, profitability within 90 days, no advertising, certain banking controls for Cuban) in the hopes that either Cuban will fund them, or other individuals will take up the ideas thereby stimulating the economy.<ref>[http://cbs11tv.com/local/Mark.Cuban.Business.2.932371.html CBS TV report on Cuban's "Stimulus Plan"] {{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref>

==Film and television credits==
{{prose|section|date=February 2011}}

===Acting roles===
* ''[[Entourage (TV series)|Entourage]]'' (2010 episode) as himself
* ''Breaking the F-ing Rules'' (2007 film) as [[Seamus]]
* ''[[The Loop (TV series)]]'' (2007 episode) as himself
* ''All In'' (2006 film) as himself
* ''[[Like Mike 2: Streetball]]'' (2006 film) as Drop Squad Coach
* ''The Cookout'' (2004 film) as himself
* ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' (TV Series, 2000) as Mark Smith
* ''Lost at Sea'' (1995 film) as Villain
* ''Talking About Sex'' (1994 film) as Macho Mark

===As himself===
#''[[Real Time with Bill Maher]]'' - (Ep. 220) Cuban appeared on the panel along with Dan Savage, Chrystia Freeland, and Marc Maron. July 15, 2011 <ref>{{cite web|title=Real Time with Bill Maher (Ep. 220)|url=http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/index.html#/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/0/220-episode/index.html|work=HBO}}</ref>
#''[[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' – Cuban was one of the 12 contestants on the 5th season of ''[[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]''.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/ Dancing With The Stars]</ref> He was partnered with show veteran [[Kym Johnson]].<ref name="autogenerated1" /> After making the cut for four weeks, they were eliminated on October 23, 2007. They were the fifth couple to go after [[welterweight]] boxing champion [[Floyd Mayweather, Jr.]] and professional partner [[Karina Smirnoff]] were sent packing the week before.
#''[[The Simpsons]]'' – Cuban voiced himself in the episode "[[The Burns and the Bees]]".
#''[[NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game]]''– Cuban played for the West team in the NBA All-Star Weekend game on February 12, 2010.
#''[[Entourage (TV series)|Entourage]]'' – Season 7 Episode 8 – Sniff Sniff Gang Bang Season 8 Episode 3 - One Last Shot
#''[[WWE Raw]]'' – Mark Cuban appeared on WWE Raw (December 7, 2009) and was put through a table by WWE Superstar [[Sheamus]]
#''[[Shark Tank (TV series)|Shark Tank]]'' – Season 2, Episode 1, 2 and 7 – Cuban appeared on Shark Tank as a guest shark
#''[[Colbert Report]]'' appeared on the show to be interviewed as a billionaire

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Mark Cuban}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://www.blogmaverick.com/ blog maverick] Mark Cuban's personal weblog
*{{Twitter|mcuban}}
*[http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/mark-cuban/727229 Profile] at ''[[Shark Tank (TV series)|Shark Tank]]'' on ''[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]''
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mark-cuban Column archive] at ''[[The Guardian]]''
*{{C-SPAN|markcuban}}
*{{Charlie Rose view|822}}
*{{IMDb name|id=1171860}}
*{{Worldcat id|lccn-no2007-156966}}
*{{NYTtopic|people/c/mark_cuban}}
*{{WSJtopic|person/C/mark-cuban/397}}
*[http://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-cuban Profile] on ''[[Forbes]]''
;Interviews
*[http://www.thoughtaudio.com/indies/exviewpoints/index.html Executive Viewpoints with Mark Cuban] interview from 2000 at [http://thoughtaudio.com/ ThoughtAudio.com]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSAHYDBpGow Beyond the Glory] video biography of Mark Cuban
*[http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/mark_cuban_on_grokster.php Mark Cuban Interview], ''Gelf Magazine'', March 29, 2005

{{Dallas Mavericks}}
{{NBAOwners}}
{{Dancing with the Stars Season 5}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}}

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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American billionaire entrepreneur
| DATE OF BIRTH = July 31, 1958
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuban, Mark}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:2929 Entertainment holdings]]
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:American bloggers]]
[[Category:American investors]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American technology company founders]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Copyright activists]]
[[Category:Dallas Mavericks owners]]
[[Category:Indiana University alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:People from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Dallas, Texas]]
[[Category:University of Pittsburgh people]]

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Revision as of 15:33, 7 February 2012

Mark Cuban
File:Cuban.jpg
Mark Cuban with the Larry O'Brien trophy at the Dallas Mavericks championship parade
Born (1958-07-31) July 31, 1958 (age 66)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materIndiana University
Occupation(s)Owner of Dallas Mavericks, co-owner of 2929 Entertainment, and Chairman of HDNet
Spouse
Tiffany Stewart
​
(m. 2002)​
Children2 daughters, 1 son[1]

Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958)[3] is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks,[4] Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet.[5] He is also a part-time "shark" investor on the television series Shark Tank. In 2011, Cuban wrote an e-book, "How to Win at the Sport of Business", in which he chronicles his life experiences in business and sports.

Biography

Cuban was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[6][7] and grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, in a Jewish[8] working-class family. His last name was shortened from "Chabenisky" when his Russian grandparents landed on Ellis Island.[9] Cuban's father Norton was an automobile upholsterer.[6][10][11] Cuban's first step into the business world occurred at age 12, when he sold garbage bags to pay for a pair of expensive basketball shoes.[6][12] While in school, he held a variety of jobs, including bartender, disco dancing instructor, and party promoter. He paid for college by collecting and selling stamps, and once gained about $1,100 from starting a chain letter.[6]

Rather than attending high school for his senior year, Cuban enrolled as a full time student at the University of Pittsburgh. After one year at the University of Pittsburgh, he transferred to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and graduated in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.[13]

Family

In September 2002, Cuban married Tiffany Stewart, an advertising executive, in Barbados,[14] with a wedding reception at the American Airlines Center. Their first daughter, Alexis Sofia, was born on September 25, 2005; their second daughter, Alyssa, was born in 2007.[15] Tiffany and Mark also have a son born in early 2010.[1] The family lives in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas, in a 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) mansion.[16]

Early career

In 1982, Cuban moved to Dallas, Texas. Cuban first found work as a bartender,[17][18] then as a salesperson for Your Business Software, one of the first PC software retailers in Dallas. He was terminated less than a year later, after meeting with a client to procure new business instead of opening the store.[19]

Cuban started a company, MicroSolutions, with support from his previous customers from Your Business Software. MicroSolutions was initially a system integrator and software reseller. The company was an early proponent of technologies such as Carbon Copy, Lotus Notes, and CompuServe.[20] One of the company's largest clients was Perot Systems.[21] In 1990, Cuban sold MicroSolutions to CompuServe—then a subsidiary of H&R Block—for $6 million.[22] He retained approximately $2 million after taxes on the deal.[23]

In 1995, Cuban and fellow Indiana University alumnus Todd Wagner started Audionet, combining their mutual interest in college basketball and webcasting. With a single server and an ISDN line,[24] Audionet became Broadcast.com in 1998. By 1999, Broadcast.com had grown to 330 employees and $13.5 million in revenue for the second quarter.[25] In 1999, during the dot com boom, Broadcast.com was acquired by Yahoo! for $5.9 billion in Yahoo! stock.[26]

Business career

After the sale of Broadcast.com, Cuban diversified his wealth to avoid exposure to a market crash.[27] As of 2011, Cuban is No. 459 on Forbes' list of "World's Richest People", with a net worth of $2.5 billion.[28] The Guinness Book of Records credits Cuban with the "largest single e-commerce transaction", after he paid $40 million for his Gulfstream V jet in October 1999.[29]

Cuban continues to work with Wagner in another venture, 2929 Entertainment, which provides vertically integrated production and distribution of films and video.[30]

On September 24, 2003, the firm purchased Landmark Theatres, a chain of 58 arthouse movie theaters.[31] The company is also responsible for the updated version of the TV show Star Search, which was broadcast on CBS.[32] 2929 Entertainment released Bubble, a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh, in theaters and on DVD on the same day in January 2006 as a simultaneous release.

Cuban was featured on the cover of the November 2003 premiere issue of Best magazine[33] announcing the arrival of High Definition Television. Cuban also was co-founder (with Philip Garvin) of HDNet, the first high-definition satellite television network.[34]

In February 2004, Cuban announced that he would be working with ABC television to produce a reality television series, The Benefactor. The premise of the six-episode series involved 16 contestants vying to win $1 million by participating in various contests, with their performances being judged by Cuban. It premiered on September 13, 2004 but due to poor ratings was canceled before the full season aired.[35]

Cuban financially supported Grokster in the Supreme Court case, MGM v. Grokster.[36] He is also a partner in Synergy Sports Technology, a web based basketball scouting and video delivery tool, used by many NBA teams.

He has also spearheaded ventures in the social software and Distributed Networking industries. He's an owner of IceRocket, a search engine which scours the blogosphere for content.[37] Cuban was also a partner in RedSwoosh[38]—a company which uses peer-to-peer technology to deliver rich media, including video and software to a user's PC, later acquired by Akamai. He was also an investor in Weblogs, Inc. which was acquired by AOL.[39]

In 2005, Cuban invested in Brondell Inc., a San Francisco startup making a high-tech toilet seat called a Swash that works like a bidet but mounts on a standard toilet. "People tend to approach technology the same way, whether it's in front of them, or behind them," Cuban joked.[40] He also invested in Goowy Media Inc., a San Diego internet software startup. In April 2006, Sirius Satellite Radio announced that Cuban would host his own weekly radio talk show, Mark Cuban's Radio Maverick.[41] However, the show has not materialized.

In July 2006, Cuban financed Sharesleuth.com,[42] a web site created by former St. Louis Post-Dispatch investigative reporter Christopher Carey to uncover fraud and misinformation in publicly traded companies. Experimenting with a new business model for making online journalism financially viable, Cuban disclosed that he would take positions in the shares of companies mentioned in Sharesleuth.com in advance of publication. Business and legal analysts questioned the appropriateness of shorting a stock prior to making public pronouncements which are likely to result in losses in that stock's value. Cuban insisted that the practice is legal in view of full disclosure.[43][44][45]

In April 2007, Cuban partnered with Mascot Books to publish his first children's book, Let's Go, Mavs!. In November 2011, he wrote a 30,000-word e-book, "How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It", which he described as "a way to get motivated".[46]

In October 2008, Cuban started Bailoutsleuth.com[47] as a grassroots, online portal for oversight over the US government's $700 billion dollar "bailout" of financial institutions.

In April 2011, Cuban placed Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures up for sale, but he added that he wouldn't sell the companies unless the offer was "very, very compelling".[48]

Magnolia Pictures

Cuban owns a film distributor called Magnolia Pictures. Through Magnolia, he financed the film Redacted, a docudrama based on the Mahmudiyah killings, the March 2006 rape, murder, and burning of 14-year-old Iraqi girl Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi and the murder of her parents and younger sister by U.S. soldiers. Two of the soldiers were convicted and three pleaded guilty, receiving sentences up to 110 years.[49] In September 2007, Cuban, in his capacity as owner of Magnolia Pictures, "redacted" disturbing photographs from the concluding moments of the film, citing copyrights/permissions issues.[50]

Also in 2007, Cuban was reportedly interested in distributing an edition of the film Loose Change, which posits a 9/11 conspiracy theory, through Magnolia, with Charlie Sheen narrating. Cuban told the New York Post, "We are having discussions about distributing the existing video with Charlie's involvement as a narrator, not in making a new feature. We are also looking for productions with an opposing viewpoint. We like controversial subjects, but we are agnostic to which side the controversy comes from."[51]

Insider trading allegation

On November 17, 2008, it was reported that 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, now known as Copernic.[52] 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.[53] The SEC claims that Cuban ordered the sale of his holdings in Mamma.com after he had been confidentially approached by the company to participate in a transaction likely to dilute shares of current shareholders. Cuban disputes the charges, saying he had not agreed to keep the information secret.[54] On his blog, Cuban contended the facts were false and that the investigation was "a product of gross abuse of prosecutorial discretion".[55] DealBook, a section of The New York Times, reported through an anonymous source that Cuban believed the investigation was motivated by an SEC employee having taken offense to his interest in possibly distributing the film Loose Change.[56]

In July 2009 the U.S. District Court dismissed the charges against Cuban. But the SEC appealed, and in September 2010 an appeals court said that the district court had erred and that further proceedings would be necessary to address the merits of the suit.[57]

Dallas Mavericks

Ownership

Cuban became the owner of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000.

On January 4, 2000, Cuban purchased a majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks for $285 million from H. Ross Perot, Jr.[58][59]

In the 20 years before Cuban bought the team, the Mavs had a winning percentage of 40%, and playoff record of 21–32.[60][61] In the ten years following, the team won 69% of their regular season games and reached the playoffs in each of those seasons. The Mavs playoff record with Cuban is 49 wins and 57 losses, including their first trip to the NBA Finals in 2006, where they lost to the Miami Heat.[62] On June 12, 2011, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat to win the NBA Finals. Historically, NBA team owners publicly play more passive roles and watch basketball games from skyboxes; Cuban sits alongside fans while donning team jerseys. Cuban flies his private Gulfstream V to attend road games.[63]

In May 2010, H. Ross Perot, Jr., who retained 5% ownership, filed a lawsuit against Cuban, alleging the franchise was insolvent or in imminent danger of insolvency. In June 2010, Cuban responded in a court filing maintaining Perot is wrongly seeking money to offset some $100 million in losses on the Victory Park real estate development.[64]

NBA policy controversies

Cuban's ownership has been the source of extensive media attention and controversy involving league policies.[65]

Cuban has been fined by the NBA, mostly for critical statements about the league and referees, at least $1,665,000 for 13 incidents.[66] In a June 30, 2006 interview, Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki said about Cuban:[67]

He's got to learn how to control himself as well as the players do. We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too. He's got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game. I don't think that helps us ... He sits right there by our bench. I think it's a bit much. But we all told him this before. It's nothing new. The game starts, and he's already yelling at them. So he needs to know how to control himself a little.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Cuban said that he matches NBA fines with charitable donations of equal amounts.[68] In a nationally publicized incident, he criticized the league's manager of officials, Ed T. Rush, saying that he "wouldn't be able to manage a Dairy Queen". Dairy Queen management took offense to Cuban's comments and invited him to manage a Dairy Queen restaurant for a day. Cuban accepted the company's invitation and worked for a day at a Dairy Queen in Coppell, Texas, where fans lined up in the street to get a Blizzard from the owner of the Mavericks.[69]

During the 2005–06 NBA season, Cuban started a booing campaign when former Mavericks player Michael Finley returned to play against the Mavs as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.[70] In a playoff series between the Mavericks and Spurs, Cuban cursed Spurs forward Bruce Bowen[71] and was fined $200,000 by the NBA for rushing onto the court and criticizing NBA officials.[72] 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.

In February 2007, 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.[73][74]

On January 16, 2009, after a reviewing, the league fined Cuban $25,000 for yelling at Denver Nuggets player J. R. Smith at the end of the first half on a Mavericks-at-Nuggets game played on January 13.[75][76] Cuban was apparently incensed that Smith had thrown an elbow that barely missed Mavericks forward Antoine Wright.[77] Cuban offered to match the fine with a donation to a charity of Smith's choosing. Cuban stated that if he doesn't hear from Smith that he will donate the money to the NHL Players' Association Goals and Dreams Fund in the names of Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore.[78] In May 2009, Cuban made a reference to the Denver Nuggets being "thugs" after a loss to the Nuggets in game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The statement was geared towards the Nuggets and their fans. As he passed Kenyon Martin's mother, who was seated near Cuban as he left the arena, he pointed at her and said, "that includes your son". This controversial comment revisited media attention on Cuban yet again. Cuban issued an apology the next day referencing the poor treatment of away fans in arenas around the league. The league issued a statement stating that they would not fine him.[79]

On May 22, 2010, Cuban was fined $100,000 for comments he made during a television interview about trying to sign LeBron James.[80]

Other sports businesses

In 2005, Cuban expressed interest in buying the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.[81] In 2006, Cuban joined an investment group along with Dan Marino, Kevin Millevoi, Andy Murstein, and Walnut Capital principals Gregg Perelman and Todd Reidbord to attempt to acquire the Penguins.[82] The franchise ultimately rejected the group's bid.

At World Wrestling Entertainment's 2003 Survivor Series, Cuban was involved in a staged altercation with RAW GM Eric Bischoff and RAW Superstar Randy Orton.[83] On December 7, 2009, Cuban acted as the guest host of WWE Raw, where he got revenge on Randy Orton for his attack on him at Survivor Series 2003, where he was the guest referee in his match against Kofi Kingston when he gave Kingston a fast count. He then announced Orton would face Kingston at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. At the end of the show, Cuban was slammed through a table by then No.1 contender for the WWE Championship, Sheamus.[84]

On September 12, 2007, Cuban said that he was in talks with Vince, Linda, Stephanie, and Shane McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment in creating a mixed martial arts company that would compete with Ultimate Fighting Championship.[85] Cuban is now a bondholder of Zuffa, the UFC's parent company.[86]

Cuban followed up his intentions by organizing "HDNet Fights", a mixed martial arts promotion which airs exclusively on HDNet and premiered on October 13, 2007 with a card headlined by a fight between Erik Paulson and Jeff Ford as well as fights featuring veterans Drew Fickett and Justin Eilers.[87]

Since 2009, Cuban has been a panelist at the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference[88]

In April, 2010, Cuban loaned the newly formed UFL football league $5 million dollars. He did not own a franchise and he was not involved in day-to-day operations of the league nor of any of its teams.[89] In January 2011, he filed a federal lawsuit against the UFL for their failure to repay the loan by the October 6, 2010 deadline.[90]

Major League Baseball

Cuban has repeatedly expressed interest in owning a Major League Baseball franchise, and has thus far unsuccessfully attempted to purchase three franchises. In 2008, he submitted an initial bid of $1.3 billion to buy the Chicago Cubs and was invited to participate in a second round of bidding along with several other potential ownership groups.[91] Cuban was not selected to participate in the final bidding process in January 2009. In August 2010, Cuban actively bid to buy the Texas Rangers. Cuban stopped bids after 1:00 A.M., having placed bids totaling almost 600 million dollars. He had outbid a competing ownership group led by ex-pitcher and Rangers executive Nolan Ryan, but lost the deal before the Rangers played the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series.

In January 2012, Cuban placed an initial bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was eliminated before the second round of bidding. Cuban felt that the value of the Dodgers' TV rights deal drove the price of the franchise too high.[92] He had previously said that he would not be interested in buying the franchise at $1 billion[93], telling the Los Angeles Times in November 2011 "I don’t think the Dodgers franchise is worth twice what the Rangers are worth."[94] However, as the bidding process drew near many speculated that the sale would surpass $1.5 billion, with Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reporting via Twitter that at least one bid in the $1-1.5 billion range was placed in the initial round of the bidding process.

Cuban also previously expressed interest in becoming a minority owner of the New York Mets after owner Fred Wilpon announced in 2011 that he was planning to sell up to a 25% stake in the team.[95]

Political leanings

Cuban is an admirer of author/philosopher Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.[96] About Rand's novel The Fountainhead, he said: "[It] was incredibly motivating to me. It encouraged me to think as an individual, take risks to reach my goals, and responsibility for my successes and failures. I loved it."[97] His political views lean towards libertarianism.[98] He held a position on the centrist Unity08 political organization's advisory council.[99] While leaning towards libertarianism, Cuban posted an entry on his blog claiming paying more taxes to be the most patriotic thing someone can do.[100]

Cuban has donated $7,000 to political campaigns, $6,000 going to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. $1,000 went to Democratic California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren.[101]

On February 8, 2008, Cuban voiced his support for the draft movement attempting to convince New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run in the U.S. presidential election of 2008 on his blog. Cuban concluded a post lamenting the current state of U.S. politics: "Are you listening, Mayor Bloomberg? For less than the cost of opening a tent pole movie, you can change the status quo."[102]

Fallen Patriot Fund

Cuban started the Fallen Patriot Fund to help families of U.S. military persons killed or injured during the Iraq War, personally matching the first $1 million in contributions with funds from the Mark Cuban Foundation, which is run by his brother Brian Cuban.[103][104]

"The Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan"

On February 9, 2009, Cuban announced his own "stimulus plan", involving what he called "an open source exchange of ideas."[105] His plan entails individuals posting ideas that fit certain criteria (breaking even within 60 days, profitability within 90 days, no advertising, certain banking controls for Cuban) in the hopes that either Cuban will fund them, or other individuals will take up the ideas thereby stimulating the economy.[106]

Film and television credits

Acting roles

  • Entourage (2010 episode) as himself
  • Breaking the F-ing Rules (2007 film) as Seamus
  • The Loop (TV series) (2007 episode) as himself
  • All In (2006 film) as himself
  • Like Mike 2: Streetball (2006 film) as Drop Squad Coach
  • The Cookout (2004 film) as himself
  • Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series, 2000) as Mark Smith
  • Lost at Sea (1995 film) as Villain
  • Talking About Sex (1994 film) as Macho Mark

As himself

  1. Real Time with Bill Maher - (Ep. 220) Cuban appeared on the panel along with Dan Savage, Chrystia Freeland, and Marc Maron. July 15, 2011 [107]
  2. Dancing with the Stars – Cuban was one of the 12 contestants on the 5th season of Dancing with the Stars.[108] He was partnered with show veteran Kym Johnson.[108] After making the cut for four weeks, they were eliminated on October 23, 2007. They were the fifth couple to go after welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and professional partner Karina Smirnoff were sent packing the week before.
  3. The Simpsons – Cuban voiced himself in the episode "The Burns and the Bees".
  4. NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game– Cuban played for the West team in the NBA All-Star Weekend game on February 12, 2010.
  5. Entourage – Season 7 Episode 8 – Sniff Sniff Gang Bang Season 8 Episode 3 - One Last Shot
  6. WWE Raw – Mark Cuban appeared on WWE Raw (December 7, 2009) and was put through a table by WWE Superstar Sheamus
  7. Shark Tank – Season 2, Episode 1, 2 and 7 – Cuban appeared on Shark Tank as a guest shark
  8. Colbert Report appeared on the show to be interviewed as a billionaire

References

  1. ^ a b Zillgitt, Jeff (February 12, 2010). "Maverick owner Cuban gains in stature among NBA owners". USA Today. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Mark Cuban profile page Forbes.com. Accessed April 2011
  3. ^ Altman, Alex; Pickert, Kate; Stephey, M.J. (November 18, 2008). "Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban". Time. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  4. ^ NBA biography
  5. ^ HDNet Press Release dated December 16, 2003
  6. ^ a b c d Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Cuban hoping to work his magic here someday. October 22, 2006.
  7. ^ Mark Cuban: Web 1.0's Richie Rich needs some respect
  8. ^ ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved on July 14, 2011.
  9. ^ Devin Leonard (October 4, 2007). "Mark Cuban wants a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T". CNN.
  10. ^ Tom D'Angelo (June 8, 2006). "Cuban a unique NBA owner". The Palm Beach Post.
  11. ^ John Strubel. "Mark Cuban: Pittsburgh's Dream Owner". TheBaseballReport.com.
  12. ^ The Maverick
  13. ^ Mark Cuban in Indiana University Alumni Association,Indiana Alumni Magazine
  14. ^ Marriage to Tiffany Stewart
  15. ^ Cuban's family
  16. ^ Cuban family mansion in Dallas
  17. ^ Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, Part 1
  18. ^ "Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, You only have to be right once!"
  19. ^ "Blog Maverick: Success and Motivation, Part 2"
  20. ^ varbusiness.com: Mark Cuban: A Success Story You Can Relate To
  21. ^ BlogMaverick: A little bit of history....Lotus Notes
  22. ^ Losing's not an option for Cuban
  23. ^ A 'must read' by Maverick owner Mark Cuban
  24. ^ Q&A With Mark Cuban
  25. ^ Gale Group Newsletter Database
  26. ^ Yahoo! completes acquisition of Broadcast.com
  27. ^ What Mark Cuban is doing with his $1 billion
  28. ^ Mark Cuban profile page at Forbes.com; accessed April 2011
  29. ^ Guinness World Records
  30. ^ Holdings
  31. ^ Mark Cuban buys Landmark Theatres
  32. ^ 2929 Productions at IMDb
  33. ^ Best Stuff and Primedia Launch Best
  34. ^ HDNet, Only All-High Definition National Television Network, Launches on DIRECTV
  35. ^ IMDb: The Benefactor
  36. ^ Mark Cuban to Finance Grokster's Fight
  37. ^ Mark Cuban to relaunch IceRocket
  38. ^ RedSwoosh latest video file-sharing entrant, to raise $5M+
  39. ^ AOL Acquires Weblogs, Inc.
  40. ^ Clean living
  41. ^ Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban to Host Talk Show Exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio
  42. ^ Mark Cuban invests in new investigative journalism site
  43. ^ Cuban's made his agenda crystal clear
  44. ^ And it looked so good
  45. ^ Money is Good
  46. ^ In E-Books, a New Player
  47. ^ Mark Cuban's online resource for the US government bailout of financial institutions
  48. ^ Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved on April 20, 2011.
  49. ^ "US ex-soldier guilty of Iraq rape". BBC News. May 7, 2009.
  50. ^ "De Palma defends redacted". Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  51. ^ http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/item_YIXNBIp6gXCY7JzIdwd7jJ;jsessionid=41A1D6C35CA3B41854988DDBCFFFEBC0
  52. ^ SEC civil suit against Cuban
  53. ^ Wall Street Journal report on insider trading accusations
  54. ^ Reuters report on insider trading accusations
  55. ^ Mark Cuban's personal weblog
  56. ^ http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/a-purported-war-of-words-between-cuban-and-the-sec/
  57. ^ Mark Cuban to Face S.E.C. Insider Case Again New York Times, September 21, 2010.
  58. ^ Cuban, unembargoed
  59. ^ NBA press release
  60. ^ Dallas Mavericks 1980–
  61. ^ Sports Network
  62. ^ NBA.com: Finals 2006 Mavs lose to Miami Heat
  63. ^ All fun and games for Cuban
  64. ^ Cuban Responds To Perot Jr.'s Mavs, June 23, 2010, http://cbs11tv.com; retrieved July 19, 2010
  65. ^ The NBA's True Maverick
  66. ^ ABCnews: Cuban Slammed with $250,000 Fine
  67. ^ Sefko, Eddie (July 1, 2006). "Dirk to Cuban: Chill out". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  68. ^ Cuban fined $250,000 for tirade. The Associated Press. June 21, 2006
  69. ^ Aron, Jaime (January 17, 2002). "Sweet revenge: billionaire Mavericks owner dishes ice cream". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Associated Press. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  70. ^ Finley's 'act' turns off Cuban
  71. ^ Spurs' Bowen adds to Dallas' frustration
  72. ^ Yahoo! Sports
  73. ^ "Nowitzki won't comment on Wade's criticism"
  74. ^ "I know you are, but what am I", blogmaverick.com
  75. ^ NBA fines Mavs owner Cuban $25,000
  76. ^ "Cuban fined". att.com. Retrieved Jan. 16, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  77. ^ Cuban may still face punishment for spat
  78. ^ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/18/nuggets-report-inauguration-buzz/
  79. ^ "Cuban posts donation plans on blog". ESPN. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  80. ^ Cuban fined for LeBron James comments
  81. ^ Cuban, Marino to buy Pens?
  82. ^ Anderson, Shelly (June 28, 2006). "Cuban, Marino join N.Y. group in bid for the Penguins". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  83. ^ Superstars upset over Mark Cuban segment, SD treated differently, more
  84. ^ WWE website
  85. ^ "Cuban sees bright future for MMA". ESPN/Sherdog. 2007. Retrieved Sept. 14, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  86. ^ Cuban Now a Zuffa Bondholder
  87. ^ HDNet Fights
  88. ^ http://www.sloansportsconference.com/
  89. ^ Cuban is newest league owner in UFL. KESN. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  90. ^ Wilonsky, Robert (January 13, 2011). "Mark Cuban Files Federal Suit to Get Back His $5 Million Loan to the United Football League". Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  91. ^ Report: Cubs cut number of bids to at least three, including Cuban. ESPN. July 24, 2008
  92. ^ http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/34631046
  93. ^ http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/feed/2011-04/dodgers-ownership/story/mark-cuban-wont-pay-1-billion-for-dodgers
  94. ^ Boston Herald 01-28-2012
  95. ^ Cuban willing to talk if approached by Mets. MLB.com. February 3, 2011
  96. ^ Mark Cuban's Crush On Ayn Rand
  97. ^ My First Literary Crush
  98. ^ Mark Cuban – Libertarian
  99. ^ unity08.com: Advisory Council
  100. ^ http://blogmaverick.com/2011/09/19/the-most-patriotic-thing-you-can-do-2/
  101. ^ Cuban's political contributions
  102. ^ Cuban's political endorsements
  103. ^ Fallen Patriot Fund website
  104. ^ Brian Cuban Profile
  105. ^ Los Angeles Times report on Cuban's "stimulus plan"[dead link]
  106. ^ CBS TV report on Cuban's "Stimulus Plan" [dead link]
  107. ^ "Real Time with Bill Maher (Ep. 220)". HBO.
  108. ^ a b Dancing With The Stars
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