Most people start businesses to make more money. Mark Cuban? He's already got the billionaire badge. Now he's out to prove that capitalism doesn't have to be cutthroat.
Speaking at WIRED's The Big Interview event in December, Cuban addressed why his online pharmacy, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, doesn't chase massive profits.
"I could make more money," he said, pausing as the crowd laughed. "We're a public benefit corporation. But how much f—ing money do I need?"
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He then tossed in a casual dig at his favorite space-faring billionaire rival: "I'm not trying to land on Mars."
That one line summed up Cuban's whole approach to the drug business: practical, transparent, and firmly grounded on Earth.
He didn't have to name Elon Musk to make his point—but he did offer a nod: "And not to take anything away from him for trying. More power to him." Still, for Cubans, it's a simple trade-off: chase more money or shake up a bloated healthcare system. For him, the choice isn't even close.
Cost Plus Drugs, which Cuban launched in 2022 alongside radiologist Alex Oshmyansky, has been flipping the script on pharmaceutical pricing. Instead of jacking up costs like traditional pharmacy benefit managers—middlemen who negotiate drug prices but often mark them up and pocket the spread—the company slaps a flat 15% markup on the manufacturing price, plus a fixed pharmacy fee. No games, no bloated mystery charges.
It's the kind of pricing model that's caught attention—especially when it results in medications like Droxidopa costing around $20 per month through Cost Plus, compared to $3,000 elsewhere. Yes, that's a real number.
According to Cuban, if Medicare purchased just nine specific drugs through Cost Plus instead of existing suppliers, taxpayers could save billions.
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He's not operating at a loss. The company is profitable. But unlike many of his billionaire peers, Cuban seems more interested in delivering results than flying too close to the sun—or Mars.
"No American should have to suffer—or worse—because they can't afford basic prescription medications," Cuban wrote in a public letter. "Many people are spending crazy amounts of money each month just to stay healthy."
The company now offers more than 2,300 prescription meds with home delivery. It's lean, it's efficient, and it's exposing just how padded Big Pharma's bottom line really is.
So no, Cuban isn't angling for another billion. He's aiming for something rarer: a business model that actually helps people without being built on desperation.
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