Mark Cuban Made $18,000 A Year And Got Fired: 5 Things You Might Not Know About The Billionaire

Mark Cuban is well-known for his role on CNBC's "Shark Tank," as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a dispenser of financial and career advice. Here are five other facts about Cuban that may be new to readers. 

1. Mark Cuban The Actor: Cuban has 54 listed producer credits and 26 acting credits on IMDB.

Cuban has played himself in animated series and live-action, with guest roles on “The Simpsons,” “The League,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “Billions.”

Cuban appeared in five episodes of “Entourage” as himself and was featured in the movie of the same name.

Aside from playing himself, Cuban had roles on “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Like Mike 2: Streetball.” Cuban even played the role of President Marcus Robbins in the TV movie “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”

2. Tried To Grow Sports Empire: Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 for $280 million. The team is now worth $3.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Cuban tried to acquire a Major League Baseball team on several occasions. He was interested in buying the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers over the years.

He said not getting the Cubs was a blessing in disguise, as he would have missed several important years of his kids' lives with the long MLB season added to the NBA season.

Cuban also tried to buy the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins with a group that included NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marion in 2006 for more than $170 million.

Related Link: Mark Cuban’s Use It Or Lose It Stimulus Idea: The Sectors That Would Win

3. Cuban Worked At Dairy Queen: Cuban is notorious for criticizing referees and getting large fines. One comment he made about an NBA referee caught the attention of business.

“Ed Rush might have been a great ref, but I wouldn’t hire him to manage a Dairy Queen,” Cuban said of the NBA ref in 2002.

Dairy Queen, a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) business, reached out and offered Cuban the chance to work at a local Dairy Queen for one day. The store was so busy they ran out of ice.

4. Cuban Played Rugby In College: While attending Indiana University, Cuban played rugby.

He told NBC he got tossed from a game for fighting. He was competitive and would hit people back if they hit him.

Cuban said his rugby years led to great friendships.

“Once you’re a rugby player, you’re a rugby player for life,” Cuban said.

5. Cuban Was Fired For Closing A Deal: He started his career as a salesperson for a Your Business Software store in Dallas, making $18,000 a year.

Less than a year on the job, Cuban chose to close a deal with a prospect at 9 a.m. instead of opening the store and getting it cleaned up. Cuban called in a coworker to open up while he worked on closing the deal.
The next day, Cuban was fired, sparking his desire to start his own business.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mark Cuban's Instagram.

Originally published Nov. 22, 2020.