Mark Cuban’s 4 Most Lucrative ‘Shark Tank’ Investments
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Travis Woods
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Mark Cuban has invested in 85 companies on Shark Tank, according to the website Sharkalytics, which tracks the investments on the business reality series. According to the site, he’s worth nearly $19.6 million.
Yet the billionaire investor told the Dallas Morning News that he’s actually invested closer to $29 million — and has made much more in both cash and market value.
As Cuban prepares to leave the show after 13 years, you might wonder which investments did the best. Here’s a handful of his highest performers.
1. Tower Paddle Boards
The folks at Tower Paddle Boards aren’t shy about their Shark Tank success, funded in part by Cuban and Shark Tank. The company website, TowerPaddleBoards.com, noted “Mark Cuban invested $150,000 in Tower in 2011. We’ve paid him out more than $1 million in dividends to date and he’s still got his ownership stake.”
The company’s core product is inflatable paddle boards, but it also sells hard paddle boards, inflatable docks and beach lifestyle products.
2. Nuts ‘N More
You may have seen this tasty nut butter spread at health food, grocery or nutrition stores near you, including Public, GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. Forbes called Nuts ‘N More one of the top 10 Best Businesses to come out of Shark Tank.
“I’m always looking for foods that solve my sweet tooth and are healthy. This company fit that bill perfectly,” Cuban told Dallas Business Journal.
Nuts ‘N More earned roughly $6 million in annual sales between 2015 and 2021, according to FoodRepublic.com.
3. Prep Expert
Investing in SAT prep company Prep Expert, founded by Shaan Patel turned out to be a smart move for Cuban. He invested $250,000 for 20% equity in 2016, and later called Prep Expert one of his top five favorite investments of all time, Inc.com reported. Today, the company regularly brings in $5 million in annual revenue, according to Fortune.com.
“I have yet to fail working with entrepreneurs who are much smarter than me and who were also grinders. Shaan has done amazingly well so far and I expect great things from him,” Cuban told Inc.com.
4. Simple Sugars
Skin care company Simple Sugars caught Cuban’s eye for a reason you might not expect — the founder Lani Lazzari hailed from Pittsburgh, just like Cuban.
“I saw Lani, who was 19 at the time as a ‘mini-me.’ She hustled, was always selling and always thinking of new ways to make her customers happier,” Cuban told Inc.com.
Cuban offered funds of $100,000. His instincts paid off, as the company was worth $5 million as of 2021, according to EquityAtlas.org.
Bottom Line
One common thread runs through Cuban’s investments: not only does he see a niche for the products, he believes in the founders and their capabilities and he likes their hustle.
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