Mark Cuban Has Announced His Exit From “Shark Tank” After Season 16: “It’s Time”

Mark Cuban is making his “Shark Tank” exit.

The Dallas Mavericks owner recently joined the “All The Smoke” podcast, where he made the shocking revelation. Though there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood with his fellow “Shark Tank” judges or production, Cuban says, “It’s time.”

“This is our 15th year. Next year, 16th year’s gonna be my last year, so I’ve got one more year to go,” Cuban said to “All The Smoke” hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

While Cuban appeared pretty sure about leaving, fans can only hope this is another false alarm. Last year, Cuban said he was stepping away after season 15 to spend time with his family as his children were getting older. However, he seemingly had a change of heart and agreed to shoot season 16. There were also rumors a while ago that he was unhappy with his salary on the series, though that has not been confirmed. It has been widely speculated that Cuban brings in roughly $30 million per season of the show, another figure that has not been validated. Either way, Cuban did not hint at money woes for his departure. Instead, he praised his “Shark Tank” experience and the way they’ve been able to help business owners, with him specifically investing approximately $29 million in at least 85 companies.

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“I love it because it sends the message that the American dream is alive and well,” Cuban stated.

ABC has not yet confirmed Cuban’s departure from the show.