Mark Cuban Says Doing This One Thing Paid Him 'Dividends' For The Rest Of His Life, Shark Suggests Doing It When Money Is Scarce

Mark Cuban says the highest-return wager he ever made wasn't a gamble he took investing on an obscure startup, or courtside tickets — but on himself.

What Happened: In a 2020 Men's Health video, the billionaire behind the Dallas Mavericks recalls teaching himself to code because "if I put in the effort, I can learn almost anything," adding that the slog "has paid dividends for the rest of my life."

Cuban told viewers that when money is scarce, effort is cheap — and compound interest on knowledge never stops. "Some of the best investments I ever made were investing in myself, first and foremost," he said, urging newcomers to out-learn the competition because "most people don't put in the time to keep up and learn."

He is hardly alone. Warren Buffett calls self-improvement "by far the best investment you can make," advice he repeated in a 2019 Yahoo Finance interview and countless shareholder meetings. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson says leaders should "train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to," linking personal growth to corporate loyalty.

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Ray Dalio, fellow billionaire and the founder of Bridgewater Associates, meanwhile, emphasizes personal growth through a system of clear goals, problem identification, root cause diagnosis, and relentless execution.

Why It Matters: Cuban's habit of self-funding growth shows up elsewhere, too. He advises would-be millionaires to "become an expert in something" before chasing risk assets and to keep cash handy for opportunistic buys.

The investor who recently ended his long run on Shark Tank, also encourages everyone to go to college, even if they eventually decide to drop out. Cuban highlights the practical skills that can be gained in college, such as accounting, finance and marketing, which are invaluable even if you don’t finish your degree. He claims to have applied these lessons to build two successful companies, including Broadcast.com, which sold to Yahoo for $5.7 billion.

Photo Courtesy: Kathy Hutchins On Shutterstock.com

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