4 ms·

Ask HN: As Billionaires Go, What Do You Think About Mark Cuban?

6 points by fuzzfactor 2y ago

One of the interesting things would be if someone has some first-hand anecdotes. Or how he compares to other billionaires, tech or not.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
joezydeco 2y ago
I have to have some respect for anyone that took Yahoo for USD 5.7 billion. But I also don't think that makes him any more savvy at business than anyone else. He was in the right place at exactly the right time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast.com
- leereeves 2y ago
  Is he the inspiration for the radio-on-Internet guy?
oldpersonintx 2y ago
neat guy, he was not just "once lucky", he also made money with his NBA team and even in movie production iirc but, he is blasted all over the media with his political ranting and it gets a little tired...you get one vote just like the rest of us Mark
- joezydeco 2y ago
  Would Cuban be able to afford an NBA team without his previous Yahoo winnings? In the US we have an incredibly large number of "self made" millionaire/billionaires that had a huge tailwind. Even our most famous entrepreneurs like Gates.
  - JohnFen 2y ago
    There's no such thing as a "self-made" millionaire. Everyone who has amassed wealth has done so with the help of others.
    - joezydeco 2y ago
      But we as Americans love that myth, because we think it can (and eventually will) happen to us as well. When you see working class people support politicians and policies that create benefits only for the wealthy, this is why.
      - JohnFen 2y ago
        Absolutely! I think a thing that can be said about opportunity in the US is that you really can change your socioeconomic status. You can be born dirt poor and be a billionaire by the end of your life. It's very unlikely, but it is possible. What's not possible is to do it all by yourself, or without a large amount of support from society at large.
dbliss 2y ago
Nice Try Mark Cuban.
- fuzzfactor 2y ago
  Sorry, I don't know him and have never met him. Never even went to a Mavericks game. I don't even know if a comparable number of positive or negative comments are to be expected. But he does seem as real a billionaire as you can get, and pretty level-headed when I see him on Shark Tank. Something really impressive when I found out about it was the dedication to fighting for lowered prescription drug prices. This has truly been completely impossible forever up until he took some action, looks like no one with adequate wherewithal made any effort before. It may not be very completely possible yet, but it's surely less-impossible now and that's a move in the right direction. I guess I do kind of favor it a bit when people make the impossible possible.
JohnFen 2y ago
I have no opinion of him. I never met him, know almost nothing about him, and as far as I know he's never had a material impact on me or the people/things I care about.
toomuchtodo 2y ago
Not as good as JB Pritzker, but we could clearly do worse.

6 points by fuzzfactor 2y ago

One of the interesting things would be if someone has some first-hand anecdotes. Or how he compares to other billionaires, tech or not.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

joezydeco 2y ago

I have to have some respect for anyone that took Yahoo for USD 5.7 billion. But I also don't think that makes him any more savvy at business than anyone else. He was in the right place at exactly the right time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast.com

leereeves 2y ago
Is he the inspiration for the radio-on-Internet guy?

oldpersonintx 2y ago

neat guy, he was not just "once lucky", he also made money with his NBA team and even in movie production iirc but, he is blasted all over the media with his political ranting and it gets a little tired...you get one vote just like the rest of us Mark

joezydeco 2y ago
Would Cuban be able to afford an NBA team without his previous Yahoo winnings? In the US we have an incredibly large number of "self made" millionaire/billionaires that had a huge tailwind. Even our most famous entrepreneurs like Gates.
- JohnFen 2y ago
  There's no such thing as a "self-made" millionaire. Everyone who has amassed wealth has done so with the help of others.
  - joezydeco 2y ago
    But we as Americans love that myth, because we think it can (and eventually will) happen to us as well. When you see working class people support politicians and policies that create benefits only for the wealthy, this is why.
    - JohnFen 2y ago
      Absolutely! I think a thing that can be said about opportunity in the US is that you really can change your socioeconomic status. You can be born dirt poor and be a billionaire by the end of your life. It's very unlikely, but it is possible. What's not possible is to do it all by yourself, or without a large amount of support from society at large.

dbliss 2y ago

Nice Try Mark Cuban.

fuzzfactor 2y ago
Sorry, I don't know him and have never met him. Never even went to a Mavericks game. I don't even know if a comparable number of positive or negative comments are to be expected. But he does seem as real a billionaire as you can get, and pretty level-headed when I see him on Shark Tank. Something really impressive when I found out about it was the dedication to fighting for lowered prescription drug prices. This has truly been completely impossible forever up until he took some action, looks like no one with adequate wherewithal made any effort before. It may not be very completely possible yet, but it's surely less-impossible now and that's a move in the right direction. I guess I do kind of favor it a bit when people make the impossible possible.

JohnFen 2y ago

I have no opinion of him. I never met him, know almost nothing about him, and as far as I know he's never had a material impact on me or the people/things I care about.

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Not as good as JB Pritzker, but we could clearly do worse.