Mark Cuban doesn’t hold back when he’s in the mood to talk, and at WIRED’s The Big Interview event, he had plenty to say about the pharmaceutical industry, cryptocurrency, and social media. The billionaire entrepreneur, known for his outspoken takes, highlighted how his company, Cost Plus Drugs, is shaking up the drug market by offering transparency in pricing.
“We’ve lowered the price of [one of our 2,500 medications] every single weekday for 18 months,” Cuban said, emphasizing how his company has managed to offer drugs like Droxidopa for around $20 a month—far lower than the staggering $3,000 uninsured patients were previously charged.
Unlike other pharmaceutical companies, Cost Plus Drugs publishes its entire price list, a move Cuban sees as revolutionary in an industry notorious for its opacity.
Saving Billions in Drug Costs
The impact of Cost Plus Drugs isn’t just hypothetical. Cuban pointed to studies showing that if Medicare purchased just nine specific drugs from his company instead of its usual sources, the U.S. government could save billions.
It just shows how bloated the health care system is,” he said, arguing that one well-funded company can make a significant difference in the industry.
That’s not to say Cuban isn’t making money on Cost Plus Drugs—he is. But as he put it, “How much fucking money do I need? I’m not trying to land on Mars.”
The jab, clearly directed at Elon Musk, was just one of many remarks Cuban made about the billionaire and his ventures.
Cuban’s Move from X to Bluesky
Cuban also discussed his shift from X (formerly Twitter) to Bluesky, citing its better troll-blocking capabilities and engagement-friendly policies. “If you want to know what Elon thinks, Twitter’s amazing,” he quipped, adding that Bluesky, in his view, is more of a true social network.
Crypto, the SEC, and the Election
When it came to cryptocurrency, Cuban didn’t hold back on his criticism of SEC chair Gary Gensler, claiming his crackdown on crypto hurt Kamala Harris in the election. “
Gary Gensler telling you to ‘roll over and let me stick a bike handle up your ass’ … did not make it good for people who own crypto and didn’t make it good for Kamala.”
Cuban noted that around 40% of young men have owned or currently own crypto, often due to mistrust of traditional banking and the stock market. He argued that the regulatory hostility towards crypto alienated a significant voter base, contributing to Harris’ loss. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to connect” her defeat to the administration’s approach to cryptocurrency, he said.
The Social Media Playbook Harris Ignored
Beyond crypto, Cuban said he advised Harris’ campaign on how to use social media effectively—but they didn’t listen. To win in today’s media landscape, he argued, candidates need to “flood the zone” with memes, quips, and viral content.
He pointed out that Donald Trump excels at this strategy, comparing it to the way Steve Bannon has described his own media tactics.
“It’s not like it was facts that made the difference in this election,” Cuban said, referencing Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs in Ohio. The Democrats, he suggested, needed more viral content. “Sixteen million couch-fucking extensions, and everyone would have seen it,” he joked. “
They started out flooding the zone, but then they dropped it and tried to use accuracy. Donald Trump floods the zone continuously, and that’s why he won
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