Mark Cuban’s final episode of Shark Tank was a pretty big deal.
After 15 seasons, the Dallas Mavericks owner, 66, said goodbye to ABC’s hit reality show with one final toast.
“I remember thinking this show is not going to last,” Cuban said in a confessional interview. “Just go on there, tear it up, raise hell, cause trouble. I really didn’t expect there to be a third season and then boom. It just blew up.”
When looking back on all the entrepreneurs he helped mentor, Cuban said he is proud to have helped make dreams come true for hard working Americans.
He was also delighted to report that he “brought a little bit of an edge to the show.”
“What I’d like to say is thanks to everybody who took a chance on me, all the entrepreneurs that said yes to me,” Cuban said. “Who knows how many millionaires we’ve created, how many people we’ve inspired? I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
Before the show came to an end, Cuban joined fellow Sharks Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary for one final toast.
“Having you leave is really like having a big brother leave the house,” Corcoran, 76, said. Greiner, 55, added, “You’re a warrior. You’re a humanitarian. You’re just an all-around great, great person, and I admire and respect and love you.”
Even Mr. Wonderful couldn’t help but shed a few tears as he said goodbye to his longtime coworker and friend.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve all built together,” O’Leary, 70, said. “We have become ambassadors of the American dream around the world. So much of it is because of you.”
In November 2023, Cuban announced he would not be returning to the ABC series after season 16. At the time, the entrepreneur said he wanted to spend more time with his family, including his wife, Tiffany Stewart, and their three children.
“[Shark Tank] shoots in the summer and I want to spend that time with family before my kids are off on their own,” he told Inc.
As he continues working with the dozens of companies he invested in over 15 seasons, Cuban couldn’t help but reflect on how much of a difference the show made on so many.
“This show changed me,” Cuban said. “I think I changed the show and I think we all together as sharks changed America.”
Shark Tank airs on ABC Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.
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