Kevin O’Leary Says He ‘Tried’ to Stop Mark Cuban From Leaving ‘Shark Tank’

Transcript

00:00Kevin you've worked alongside Mark for so many years. What was it like when he told you that this season was gonna be his last?

00:05I tried to turn him around on that decision

00:09Yeah, because I mean he's been part of the DNA of the show for so long

00:13but I understand his reasons and

00:17You know, he thought a lot about it and I think he made it for family reasons and I understand exactly why

00:25Obviously, we're gonna miss him. It was very emotional on our last statement, but

00:30you know the real stars of Shark Tank are the entrepreneurs they will go on and on and on and on and

00:36That's what we all understand and our job is to nurture them fund them

00:42Try and pick the winners because we don't get it right all the time and provide the platform and be those ambassadors

00:50For the American dream. I will say one thing about Shark Tank that I've realized over 16 years

00:55It's like a passport for me

00:56I can go to Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Switzerland France England and I'll get called by the ruler of the country

01:04Because our show is on there and it supports entrepreneurship

01:08Which is bipartisan in every country whether it's a democracy or a dictatorship or whatever it is. Yeah, I

01:14Realized this is incredible. I mean, it's incredible that you know

01:19Abu Dhabi the number one show on Fridays. It's Shark Tank. It's amazing

01:23Do you feel like for mark? This is a final goodbye, or is it a maybe goodbye? I'll see you later

01:29No, I'm gonna run into mark a lot for slowly a bunch of deals over 16 years, right together. Mm-hmm, but also

01:35You know, he's he's out on the venture trail. So am I we run into each other all the time?

01:40Mm-hmm, and I consider him a close friend now

01:43I mean, you know, he's he's come to my home and met my kids. What else you do after 16, right?

01:50Thank you, you know besides what's cool about Shark Tank for the entrepreneurs besides the

01:56Original episode you can get updates and Mark's committed to continue doing updates with his portfolio companies

02:01So at a minimum that but I'm like, I'm like Kevin. I very much hope the guy's just an extraordinary

02:07Human being my opinion. He's got potential to help lead our nation one day

02:12I don't know that he would like to say that I thought he was gonna do it this time

02:15But he decided not to he says all his family's he's got a very tight-knit family wonderful wife

02:21And you know, he's on a journey with them

02:23His kids are getting older and the thing about Shark Tank is we tape it in June and September when your kids are home

02:29Yeah, and so I think that weighed on his mind a little bit. I think he's disclosed that but

02:35The guy has been a part of the DNA to show and he's not he's in syndication forever. Yeah