Mark Cuban Says AI Will Create The First Trillionaire
The trend of building world-changing companies from home is set to explode, thanks to artificial intelligence. According to billionaire investor and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, AI is the technology that could ultimately produce the world's first trillionaire.
The Trillion-Dollar Prediction
In a June appearance on the High Performance podcast, Cuban shared his bold vision for the future of AI-driven entrepreneurship. “We haven’t seen the best or the craziest of what [AI is] going to be able to do,” he stated. “And not only do I think it’ll create a trillionaire, but it could be just one dude in the basement. That’s how crazy it could be.”
This idea builds on the modern startup ethos. Take OpenAI, for instance, a company that began in co-founder Greg Brockman's living room in 2015. It is now valued at a staggering $300 billion after a massive fundraising deal, and its CEO, Sam Altman, is worth at least $2 billion.
While impressive, that's still a long way from a trillion dollars. However, some are already on that path. A recent report suggested that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on pace to become a trillionaire by 2027. Musk is also heavily invested in the AI race with his startup xAI, which already boasts an estimated $80 billion valuation.
“There’s always something bigger and better that’s created by an innovative entrepreneur,” Cuban noted. “But AI just dwarfs all that.”
How Mark Cuban Uses AI in Daily Life
Cuban is not just a believer in AI's potential; he's an active user, stating that we're only in the “preseason” of what the technology can achieve. He uses it for nearly everything.
He provided a personal example related to his health. To manage his atrial fibrillation (“A-fib”), Cuban uses ChatGPT to track his medications and workouts. He even programmed it to flag any entries that might be cause for concern.
“And damn if it doesn’t do it,” he said. The experience of having AI identify potential issues he might have otherwise missed was “just insane.”
A Healthy Dose of Skepticism
Despite his enthusiasm, Cuban highlights the major concern with relying on AI for making important health- or life-related decisions. While tools like ChatGPT can be used for advice or even as a form of therapy, experts warn that the technology is not infallible.
To mitigate this, Cuban treats AI like a knowledgeable but not-always-correct colleague. He actively challenges its responses.
“There’s times when I don’t think the answer is what it should be, or I think it’s wrong. And I’ll say, ‘I don’t think you’re right. I need you to show me the evidence of how you got to this decision,’” he explained. “And it’s no different than talking to a friend or a work colleague and just calling bulls***.”
Will AI Take Our Jobs? Cuban Weighs In
Addressing the widespread fear of AI-induced job loss, Cuban offered a reassuring perspective. “I’m not here to tell you that it’s going to replace everybody’s job. It won’t,” he predicted.
Instead, he sees AI as a powerful tool to augment human capability and creativity. “But the things that you like to do, if you’re creative, innovative, whatever it may be—or you’re just bored—it might end up being the best alternative to boredom.”
