Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is an American entrepreneur and investor who is best known as the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, chairman of AXS TV, and one of the main “shark” investors on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank.

Cuban was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1958. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University – Bloomington, graduating from the latter with a degree in business administration in 1981. After college, Cuban worked various odd jobs before eventually joining a computer consulting firm in Dallas, Texas. This proved to be the beginning of his long and successful business career.

In the late 1980s, Cuban and an investor partner founded a company called MicroSolutions, a computer consulting firm. In 1990, Cuban sold the company to CompuServe for 6.7 million dollars. With the money, Cuban founded a streaming media company called Audionet, which eventually became known as Broadcast.com. He served as the company’s CEO until it was sold to Yahoo! in 1999 for 5.7 billion dollars.

Cuban’s success continued with a series of other business ventures, including investments in the motion picture industry and the HDTV cable television network HDNet launch. The same year, Cuban bought a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks for 285 million dollars. Under Cuban’s ownership, the team has enjoyed unparalleled success, winning the 2011 NBA championship and making the playoffs in 13 of 15 seasons.

In addition to his business endeavors, Cuban has become a philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to various causes. He has also been active in politics, donating to both Republican and Democratic candidates.

A self-made billionaire, Cuban is recognized for his business acumen and vibrant personality. He is a fixture on the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people and has been featured in numerous books and magazines. He has also appeared as a guest on numerous television shows, including The Tonight Show and 60 Minutes.