Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American businessman, investor, film producer, author, television personality and philanthropist. He is the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks ,Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network AXS TV. He is also a "shark" investor on the television series Shark Tank. In 2011, Cuban wrote an e-book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, in which he chronicles his life experiences in business and sports.

Early life

Cuban was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father, Norton Cuban, was an automobile upholsterer and Mark has described his mother, Shirley, as someone with "a different job or different career goal every other week." He grew up in the affluent suburb of Mount Lebanon, in a Jewish working-class family. His paternal grandfather changed the family name from "Chabenisky" to "Cuban" after his family emigrated from Russia through Ellis Island. His maternal grandparents were also Jews who came from Romania. Cuban's first step into the business world occurred at age 12, when he sold garbage bags to pay for a pair of expensive basketball shoes. At age 16, Cuban took advantage of a Gazette strike by running newspapers from Cleveland to Pittsburgh.