Harris' biggest business booster
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Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Mark Cuban has become a vociferous supporter of Vice President Harris' presidential bid, serving as a social media counterweight to fellow tech billionaires like Elon Musk.
Why it matters: Cuban has economic and health care bonafides in an election where inflation, taxes and abortion are taking center stage.
Behind the scenes: Cuban is not an official surrogate for Harris, but tells Axios that he is in regular dialog with her campaign:
- "I talk to them. I tell them I'm going to say what's on my mind. They say as long as you say you don't speak for us, go for it."
- He adds that while he got along with Biden staffers, he only had one or two calls with them.
By the numbers: He has nearly 9 million followers on X, where he relishes keyboard combat, and is a constant television presence via Shark Tank returns.
- Cuban has tweeted more than two dozen times about the election in the past week, including critiques of Trump's U.S. sovereign wealth fund proposal and arguing that Harris is "more supportive of entrepreneurs than any candidate in a long time."
- He also appeared on CNBC to call Harris "pro business."
Catch up quick: Cuban is a Pittsburgh native who now lives in Dallas.
- He got rich by founding and selling a couple tech companies during the dotcom boom, and then raised his profile by buying the Dallas Mavericks and becoming one of the NBA's most outspoken owners (he sold the club last year).
- He later became a successful tech investor, writing early checks for companies like Uber, and has been a longterm advocate for cryptocurrencies. In 2022 he launched Cost Plus Drugs, a direct-to-consumer provider of generic medicines at discount prices.
State of play: Cuban isn't a reflexive partisan. For example, he's supporting the Republican challenger to Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and helped fund efforts to get alternative candidates like RFK Jr. on the ballot.
- He has not donated to any political candidates in more than two decades, according to FEC records, and there's no indication that will change with this election.
The bottom line: Cuban's political pen is arguably more powerful than his pocketbook.
