Mark Cuban Rips Trickle-Down Economics: ‘It Is A Joke’

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban is drawing a hard line on economic policy, telling followers on X that he is not a believer in trickle down and calls it a joke. Instead, Cuban described himself as a believer in “trickle up,” aimed at getting appreciable assets and higher wages into the hands of people who live paycheck to paycheck.

What Cuban actually said

The comments came in a June 20 X post that framed his broader economic philosophy. Cuban described his economic philosophy as “trickle up,” an inversion of Reaganomics’ “trickle down” doctrine, which the former Shark called a joke.

He added that ideology is not a strategy, nor is it a plan that has lasting impact on people who need help, saying he is not a believer in trickle down, that it is a joke, and that he is a believer in trickle up.

The $20 minimum wage push

Cuban said he supports raising the federal minimum wage to $20 an hour, a dramatic jump from today’s federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which hasn’t increased since July 2009.

The reasoning is personal. Cuban wrote that when he heard people who worked for a company he invested in needed government assistance, he made sure they all got raises, adding that it was embarrassing that they didn’t pay enough.

Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself?

Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more.

Create a free account here to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales.

Defending entrepreneurs, rejecting ‘eat the rich’

Cuban wrote that saying “Eat the rich” will end up helping no one except maybe politicians trying to raise money, and probably hurt those in need. He argued the anger is often pointed at the wrong targets.

Cuban acknowledged that some business leaders deserve criticism and that there are greedy, blood-sucking businesspeople who will do anything for a dollar, but argued that turning a handful of examples into a broad indictment of entrepreneurs misses the bigger picture. He also pointed to his own track record, saying he has helped make at least a thousand millionaires and will keep working to increase that number.

Why traders should care

Cuban’s framing lines up with a live policy debate on wages, wealth taxes, and consumer spending power. A federal minimum wage jump toward $20 would ripple across low-margin retailers, quick-service restaurants, and staffing-heavy operators, while broader asset-ownership policies could reshape flows into equities and housing.

Cuban, the long-time Shark Tank star now focused on low-cost pharmaceuticals with his Cost Plus Drug Company, was a major backer of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, vocally criticized President Trump’s tariff rollout, and has said entrepreneurs have a patriotic duty to pay their staff well.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for wage-sensitive names if the minimum wage debate gains traction:

• WMT: watch for margin commentary and labor cost guidance from the largest US private employer.
• MCD: watch franchisee economics and menu pricing if wage floors move higher.
• AMZN: watch for fulfillment and delivery wage sensitivity across warehouse operations.
• SBUX: watch for labor cost pressure and unionization headlines colliding with any wage-floor push.
• CMG: watch pricing power versus wage inflation in the fast-casual segment.

For more market-moving headlines, follow Unusual Whales news.

Want more market intelligence? Create your free Unusual Whales account for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.