Mark Cuban will be leaving Shark Tank after Season 16: A look back at his journey

Mark Cuban, the renowned 65-year-old billionaire, and Shark Tank investor is bidding farewell to the widely-watched American business reality TV series post-season 16, leaving fans reminiscing about his top moments on the program.

What

• Renowned as the wealthiest investor on ABC's Shark Tank and the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban revealed on a podcast on Monday that the upcoming season of Shark Tank would mark his final stint.

•  He emphasized the priority of family over other commitments, stating that "family trumps all other obligations." During his daughter's high school years, their schedules synchronized, facilitating participation in the ABC reality series.
• Now that she's in college, he aims to maximize quality time with her and the entire family and doesn’t want that time to get consumed by the show.

Mark Cuban and Shark Tank

• Shark Tank, an ABC mainstay since its 2009 debut, features entrepreneurs pitching ideas to a panel of "sharks" who decide on investments.
• Mark Cuban, who joined as a guest shark in season two, has been a regular since 2012, making him one of the longest-serving sharks on the show.

• In a prior conversation with Forbes, Cuban revealed investing a substantial $29 million across 85 companies since becoming part of Shark Tank.

Top investments

Wondry Wine

• Whitney and Chaz Gates saw a big boost in sales for their Black-owned wine brand, Wondry, thanks to investor Mark Cuban.
• On a recent "Shark Tank" episode, they shared that their revenue jumped from $250,000 to $1.1 million in just 11 months. 
• Back in 2022, they got $225,000 from Cuban for a 15% stake in their Dallas-based company.

Tower Paddle Boards

• Back in 2012, Cuban put $150,000 into a standup paddle board startup, getting a 30% stake. He liked it and called it one of his best Shark Tank investments three years later.

• The founder, Stephan Aarstol, used most of that money to pay off a $100,000 loan. Even though Tower Paddle Boards got $60,000 in orders after Shark Tank, Cuban asked for a $50,000 dividend, which Aarstol paid. 
• Oddly, Cuban's initial investment didn't directly help the company grow.
• In 2013, when Tower Paddle Boards had trouble getting more money, Cuban stepped in with a crucial $300,000 loan, thanks to their relationship.

Nuts ‘N More

• Cuban also teamed up with Robert Herjavec in 2013 to invest $250,000 for a 35% share in "Nuts 'N More," a company making high-protein nut butters in flavors like mint chocolate chip. 

• Cuban, with a sweet tooth for healthy treats, enjoyed this investment. By 2018, the company had made over $30 million in total sales, according to GOBankingRates.

Gameday Couture

• Gameday Couture fixes a common issue for women: wanting sports team gear that's stylish, not just for guys.
• They partner with NBA and NCAA teams, creating trendy clothes with team logos.

• In 2014, Mark Cuban invested $100,000 for a 30% stake, but with a condition: design a line for his team, the Dallas Mavericks.
• Now, Cuban not only offers cool Mavericks tops for female fans but also owns part of a very successful company. 
• Within four years, Gameday Couture expected total sales of $20 million by 2018 end, with $12 million for that year alone.