Summary
- Mark Cuban, a long-time star of Shark Tank, announced that he will be leaving the show after season 16, citing the desire to spend time with his children before they go off on their own.
- Despite his departure, Mark expressed gratitude for the show and the impact it has had on inspiring generations of entrepreneurs. He has invested in hundreds of companies throughout his time on Shark Tank.
- While Mark’s departure may come as a shock to viewers, he has been hinting at leaving the show for some time. The official confirmation and handling of the cast shakeup by ABC has yet to be announced.
After starring on the popular ABC reality show for several years, billionaire Mark Cuban announced that he will be leaving after Shark Tank season 16. Shark Tank premiered on the Disney-owned network back in 2009 with Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John and Kevin Harrington. Two years in, Kevin Harrington left, and Mark became a full-time shark after being a guest during Shark Tank season 2. Lori Greiner didn’t become a permanent Shark Tank cast member for another couple years, after starting out as a guest investor as well. From Shark Tank season 4 onward, Mark, Lori, Kevin O’Leary (nicknamed Mr. Wonderful), Robert, Barbara and Daymond have stuck together as a group.
Unfortunately, that lineup is about to break up. Mark appeared on the All The Smoke podcast (via People) and revealed the disappointing news that he’s stepping away from Shark Tank.
Mark admitted, “This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year. So [I’ve] got one more year to go.” He went on to explain that “it’s time” for him to move on from the popular entrepreneurial reality show. When asked why he’s decided to leave, Mark admitted that he wants “to have a couple summers with my teens before they go off on their own.” He stressed during this interview that there’s no bad blood between him and Shark Tank.
Mark Cuban Has Hinted He Would Leave Shark Tank Soon
Mark expressed his gratitude for Shark Tank and described the legacy that the show continues to build on year after year. “We’ve trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs that if somebody can come from Iowa or Sacramento or wherever…it’s going to inspire generations of kids,” he said. He acknowledged that he’s now coming face to face with entrepreneurs on Shark Tank who started watching the show at 10 years old. Over the years, Mark has invested in hundreds of companies, too many for him to count, in fact.
While Mark’s announcement that he’s leaving Shark Tank may come as a shock, he’s been hinting over the past year or so that he would likely depart the reality show sooner rather than later. Back in October 2022, during an appearance on Chris Wallace’s CNN show, Mark revealed that he made a promise to ABC that he would return for Shark Tank season 15, which he ended up doing, though at the time he added that he wasn’t sure if he would stick around after that. It will be interesting to see how ABC, which has not officially confirmed Mark’s exit, handles the cast shakeup.
Shark Tank has featured numerous guest sharks over the years, including Sara Blakely, Bethenny Frankel, Daniel Lubetzky, Kendra Scott, Emma Grede and Gwyneth Paltrow. Producers certainly aren’t at a loss when it comes to hiring a replacement. Daniel has appeared as a guest more than anybody else, so he seems like the obvious choice. But ABC might want a more prominent face, which could favor Gwyneth or Bethenny. Mark has been a fan-favorite on Shark Tank for many years, so he will definitely be missed when he departs. At least fans still have another year-and-a-half to see Mark on their TV screens before he leaves to spend more time with his kids.
Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Sources: All The Smoke/YouTube, People
