Mark Cuban Isn't So Sure Donald Trump Is a Fellow Billionaire

Billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, questioned Wednesday whether Donald Trump is actually a billionaire, noting that the businessman's lack of transparency on the issue makes his finances difficult to confirm.

During the interview, Cuban suggested he's "not so sure" Trump "knows what he's not good at," adding that he will admit that the presumptive Republican nominee was good at putting his name on big buildings. However, Cuban said it's not clear how much money those endeavors made him.

Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks watches as his team takes on the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

"He’s good at that. Whether or not that’s made him a billionaire, I don’t know," Cuban said on WABC-AM's "Bernie and Sid." "He’s not transparent enough for us to actually know."

He said he went over Trump's Federal Election Commission filings and concluded that he was "horrible" at many aspects of his business: "I think he’s good at real estate, I do give him a lot of credit there. I think he’s good at branding real estate. I don’t think he’s very good at brands for non-real estate products. And, to me, it’s more a reflection of desperation."

Cuban went on to say that just putting your name on steaks, playing cards and water bottles is "not gonna make big bucks, no matter what."

"It’s not like Trump Steaks were gonna make him $100 million," he said. "It’s not like it was gonna make him $5 million. And you know, I asked him, ‘What the hell are you doing? Are you that desperate for money?’ Seriously," adding Trump couldn't say no if someone was going to write him a check.

Cuban also asserted that he was wealthier than Trump. "It's not even close," he said.

The politically minded entrepreneur clarified — "before all the Trumpians jump on me on who has more money" — that the reason he knows about Trump's finances is because, when FEC reports are filed, all cash, bonds and liquid securities have to be listed.

"So we know without any question that, as of May 27, Donald doesn’t have more than $165 million in cash and securities and bonds," Cuban said.

"And trust me, I’ve got a lot more than that in cash, securities, and bonds," he continued. "And so, you know, I’m willing to bet dimes against dollars that that’s pretty much what he’s got."

—

Follow the author of this story on Twitter:

Follow @tregp