Mark Cuban Was 'Proud' To Pay His $275.9M Tax Bill Last Year — And Says 'Yes' To Taxing Billionaires More Instead Of Slashing Jobs

Billionaire Mark Cuban isn't just talking about taxes—he's paying them. Last year, he wired $275.9 million to the IRS, and he's not complaining about it. 

Last week, when someone on BlueSky asked, "Can't we just TAX billionaires a little bit MORE instead of firing the people controlling our nuclear weapons and fighting pandemics?" Cuban had a simple answer: "Yes."

That's it. No hedging, no dodging. Just a straightforward agreement that, instead of gutting government jobs, maybe billionaires should be taxed a little more. And considering his tax bill was larger than what thousands of Americans combined will earn in their entire lifetimes, he's not just talking—he's putting his money where his mouth is.

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Cuban's Take: Billionaires Can Afford It

Cuban made it clear last year that he has no issue paying what he owes.

"I pay what I owe. This country has done so much for me, I'm proud to pay my taxes every single year," he wrote on X back in April.

And he didn't just say it—he backed it up. The $275.9 million he paid was mostly from long-term capital gains, likely tied to his $3.5 billion sale of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. But rather than using that as an excuse to advocate for tax cuts or loopholes, Cuban sees it as part of the deal.

"We only get to be entrepreneurs and enjoy the freedoms we have because of the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our country. They deserve every penny they get, and my taxes go to support them," he told CNBC.

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Government Layoffs Instead of Tax Hikes

Cuban's BlueSky post came in response to widespread government job cuts happening under the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency—an initiative linked to Elon Musk. DOGE has been aggressively slashing federal jobs, with estimates suggesting up to 700,000 positions could be eliminated.

The reasoning? Budget cuts. The result? Government agencies are scrambling to operate with fewer employees, even in crucial areas like public safety and health.

Buffett's Billion-Dollar Perspective

Cuban isn't alone in this thinking. Warren Buffett has been saying for years that billionaires and corporations should be paying more. His company, Berkshire Hathaway BRK BRK.B)), paid a record $26.8 billion in taxes—the largest corporate tax bill in U.S. history.

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Buffett even suggested at the 2024 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting that if just 800 other companies paid the same amount in federal taxes, the entire country's tax burden would disappear:

"No other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes—no income taxes, no Social Security taxes, no estate taxes."

Who Should Shoulder the Burden?

Cuban isn't saying billionaires should be taxed into oblivion. He's just saying there's a better way to balance the budget than firing thousands of workers. He's leading by example—paying his fair share without complaints and openly advocating for a tax system that makes sense.

With Buffett echoing similar sentiments, the question isn't whether billionaires can afford it—it's whether lawmakers will actually make them.

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