What ‘Shark Tank’s’ Mark Cuban Says He Would Do If He Lost Everything And Had To Start Over

Mark Cuban of ABC’s Shark Tank has an impressive list of credits to his name, which has resulted in his billionaire status. The business icon runs a tech empire, owns an NBA team, produces films, and sits on the panel of one of today’s hottest reality shows.

Realizing that nothing in life is guaranteed, Cuban already has a plan in case he somehow lost his fortune.

Comes from a blue-collar background

Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cuban has often shared that he did not come from an affluent family. His mother worked various odd jobs and his dad installed upholstery in automobiles. “I grew up in a working class family,” Cuban said, according to CNBC.

Cuban revealed that most people around him didn’t expect him to do much with his life. “People thought I might go work at a mill. My mom wanted me to learn how to lay carpet because she was concerned about my future,” he said. “Nobody had high hopes for me… But I was a hustler.”

Clearly, those predictions were way off-base, where Cuban went on to massive professional and financial success. Now with his seat on the Shark Tank panel, he tries to pay it forward by helping aspiring entrepreneurs.

“I love entrepreneurship because that’s what makes this country grow, and if I can help companies grow, I am creating jobs, I am setting foundations for future generations,” Cuban explained. “It sends the message that the American Dream is alive and well.”

Earned his success

Cuban’s strong work ethic is legendary. The Shark Tank investor does not maintain anything close to a 9 to 5 schedule when it comes to his work day.

“My days are straight out of the movie Groundhog Day. I wake up, check my email, news feeds and eat. I kiss my wife and kids, and get them to school,” he told Entrepreneur in 2012. “I come home and get back in front of my computer. I’ll go workout. I’ll play with the kids when they come home.”

After family time, Cuban gets back to work. “I’ll sit in front of my computer some more. If there is a Mavs game I check my email at breaks and go to my computer at halftime,” he said. “After the game, I do the same thing until I go to bed.”

With his dedication to keeping his empire successful, Cuban expects the same determination from aspiring entrepreneurs entering the tank. For those who want an investment from the billionaire, they have to be willing to put in the time.

In a conversation on the YouTube channel Valuetainment in 2015, Cuban elaborated on that point saying that the number one reason people fail in business is “lack of brains [and] lack of effort. They don’t do the work,” he said.

Planning ahead

Though Cuban is an extremely confident business man, he realizes that life can often take unexpected turns. In the podcast “How I Built This,” the billionaire shared his plan of action if he should ever lose his hard-earned wealth. Naturally, with Cuban’s strong work ethic, he revealed he would immediately get not one but two jobs.

“I would get a job as a bartender at night and a sales job during the day, and I would start working,” Cuban said, according to CNBC. “Knowing what my sales skills are and the products that I am able to sell, I think I could find a job selling a product that had enough commissions or rewards for me.”

The NBA team owner had always been a stellar sales person, starting in childhood when he sold stamps and baseball cards. “I was the best,” he said. “I crushed it.”

Though he admits earning figures in the billions is a mega challenge, Cuban isn’t worried about making enough money if he had to start over. “To be a billionaire, you have got to get lucky,” the tech guru said. “Could I become a multimillionaire again? I have no doubt.”

Watch ABC’s Shark Tank on Sunday nights!