DINH DOONG

“It was almost immediate,” said a Wall Street analyst, shaking his head in disbelief. “He was fine, perfectly stable at $5.1 billion. Then, boom—he endorses Harris, and now he’s at $4 billion. You can’t make this stuff up.”

Cuban’s endorsement came as a surprise to some, but others saw it as a natural move for the Mavericks owner, who has become a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and his economic policies. During an interview, Cuban praised Harris for her knowledge of technology and her commitment to small businesses. “She understands technology, particularly AI, and she’s committed to reducing healthcare costs in a way that’s actually sustainable for small businesses,” Cuban said. He went on to criticize Trump’s tariffs, calling them detrimental to American companies.

But while Cuban’s endorsement might have earned nods from tech enthusiasts and small business owners, it seems to have come with a steep price tag. According to financial insiders, his endorsement sparked a chain reaction of divestment, with investors fearing that Cuban’s shift in political allegiance signaled a departure from his usual business-first approach.

“People expect Mark to be, well, Mark—unpredictable but generally money-minded,” said a source close to the matter. “This endorsement caught a lot of his investors off guard. Some of them saw it as a signal that maybe he’s becoming more ideological than financial, and that spooked them.”

As news of Cuban’s endorsement spread, so did the fallout. Within hours, investors reportedly began pulling their stakes in Cuban’s various ventures. Some even took to social media to air their grievances, with one investor tweeting, “I trusted Mark Cuban to back strong business principles, not candidates! Politics is poison to portfolios!”

For years, Cuban’s financial moves have been closely watched and often emulated by aspiring entrepreneurs and investors. But in the wake of his Harris endorsement, it seems that some fans felt betrayed, almost as though he’d sold out his commitment to the bottom line. Within a day, shares in some of Cuban’s companies saw noticeable dips as wary investors scrambled to cut their losses.

“It’s like he’s gone rogue,” one investor lamented on a financial news forum. “First, he’s telling us tariffs are bad for business—which, fine, we get it. But then he endorses a candidate, and that’s where we draw the line. You can mess with the market, but you don’t mess with our money.”

As Cuban’s net worth began to shrink, Twitter and X were ablaze with comments from people alternately amused and horrified by the unfolding drama. Hashtags like #BrokeCuban and #MarkTheMarket quickly trended, as social media users shared memes of Cuban’s face on a plunging stock graph and cheeky slogans like, “Mark Cuban: Billionaire Today, Millionaire Tomorrow.”

Some social media users took the opportunity to poke fun at the idea that a billionaire could lose $1 billion for simply making a political statement. “Guess he found out politics and portfolios don’t mix,” joked one Twitter user, adding, “Maybe he should go on Shark Tank and pitch a recovery plan to himself.”

Meanwhile, supporters of Harris rallied to Cuban’s defense, suggesting that his endorsement was brave and indicative of his long-term vision. “He’s betting on the future, not just the bottom line!” one fan posted. Others, however, were less forgiving, with one user writing, “If I wanted advice on who to vote for, I wouldn’t ask a Shark Tank guy. Stick to investing, Cuban.”

As rumors of his declining net worth reached him, Cuban took to the media to clarify his stance. “Look, I’m still doing fine,” he told reporters, flashing his characteristic grin. “I’m not worried about my net worth. I backed Kamala Harris because I believe in her vision for the future—not because I thought it would make me richer.”

The comments, while meant to assure his fans, seemed to have the opposite effect among his investors. “Not about money?” one skeptical shareholder remarked. “This is Mark Cuban! The guy who made a fortune telling people how to make a fortune. Now he’s saying it’s ‘not about money’? Either he’s been hacked, or he’s gone soft.”

Despite the backlash, Cuban appeared unfazed, later tweeting, “Money comes and goes, but the future we shape for the next generation is priceless. I’m not here to follow the crowd; I’m here to make a difference.” His message was met with a mixture of applause and exasperation, as some followers cheered his principles while others lamented his apparent disregard for the fiscal fallout.

News of Cuban’s financial hit spread through Hollywood and the business world like wildfire, with fellow celebrities weighing in on his decision. Billionaire Jeff Bezos reportedly chuckled when asked about Cuban’s endorsement, responding with a nonchalant, “That’s why I stick to rockets.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk, never one to shy away from controversy, tweeted, “Lesson of the day: Don’t mix tech and politics unless you’re building electric cars or launching rockets.”

Other celebrities, however, applauded Cuban’s courage, with pop icon Beyoncé, herself a supporter of Harris, posting a story captioned, “Power moves mean putting it all on the line.” Similarly, actor Mark Ruffalo praised Cuban for “standing up for what matters,” noting, “We need more billionaires like him willing to risk it for what’s right.”

The real question now is whether Cuban will bounce back from his sudden dip in net worth—or whether he’ll remain a cautionary tale for other billionaires tempted to wade into politics. Financial analysts are divided, with some arguing that Cuban’s fortunes will inevitably recover as his business acumen prevails, while others caution that he may have alienated too many investors to make a full comeback.

For now, Cuban seems content to ride out the storm, telling reporters, “Losing a billion doesn’t scare me. Not standing up for my beliefs—that scares me.” His words may sound bold, but only time will tell whether his gamble pays off, or whether his endorsement will go down as a billion-dollar mistake.

Regardless of the outcome, one thing’s certain: Mark Cuban’s Harris endorsement has proven to be a costly statement, sending shockwaves through his finances and sparking heated debates across America. For now, he may be down a billion, but knowing Cuban, he’s already plotting his next big move. As he famously once said, “You only have to be right once.” Let’s hope, for his sake, this is the one.