Mark Cuban on Running for President as a Republican: "It Would Be SO Much Fun" | Pivot
- Aug 21, 2026
- 1:10:00
- Full Episode
Scott Free August continues, and Kara sits down with Mark Cuban — entrepreneur and co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs. They dig into why prescription drug prices are finally falling, Cuban's war with the healthcare industry, and Costco's surprising Medicare play. Then: why Cuban thinks chips are the new crypto, and California's controversial billionaire tax. Plus — will Cuban actually run for president?
00:00 Intro 00:58 Why RX Prices Are Falling 8:30 What’s Broken in Healthcare 15:57 Costco Gets Into Medicare 22:49 Divesting From Big Health Insurers 25:12 Are Chips the New Crypto? 33:02 Billionaires Buying Sports Teams 43:20 California’s Billionaire Tax 50:34 Turning Against Big Tech 54:39 Medicare for All? 59:34 Will Mark Cuban Run for President? 1:06:31 Predictions
Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Todd Wiseman
Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa
Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or email [email protected]
Brief Summary
Mark Cuban discusses healthcare costs, drug pricing, and AI's role in transparency.
Key points
- Prescription Drug Price Drop. Prescription drug prices have seen their biggest drop in over 60 years, with political implications.
- Cost Plus Drugs Success. Mark Cuban discusses how his company is driving down drug prices through transparency.
- Healthcare Cost Savings. Companies could save millions by optimizing their healthcare contracts with AI.
- Investing in Chips. Chips may become the new crypto, offering a hedge against instability.
- Vanity Assets in Sports. Owning sports teams is becoming a vanity asset for the wealthy.
- The Cost of Winning. Winning in the NBA requires significant financial investment, beyond just ticket sales.
Episode highlights
- Prescription Drug Price DropPrescription drug prices have seen their biggest drop in over 60 years, with political implications.“President Trump is taking a victory lap for that.”1:02Aug 21, 2026
- Cost Plus Drugs SuccessMark Cuban discusses how his company is driving down drug prices through transparency.“We've literally dropped the price since Trump RX launched.”2:13Aug 21, 2026
- Healthcare Cost SavingsCompanies could save millions by optimizing their healthcare contracts with AI.“We could save millions if not tens of millions of dollars or more.”19:46Aug 21, 2026
- Investing in ChipsChips may become the new crypto, offering a hedge against instability.“Chips as an asset class will be the new crypto.”25:14Aug 21, 2026
- Vanity Assets in SportsOwning sports teams is becoming a vanity asset for the wealthy.“It's a vanity asset.”34:27Aug 21, 2026
- The Cost of WinningWinning in the NBA requires significant financial investment, beyond just ticket sales.“If you want to win, it's going to cost you a decent amount of money.”36:46Aug 21, 2026
- Jeannie Buss's Ownership StyleJeannie Buss is deeply engaged with fans and the Lakers community.“She cares about fans. She was always engaged.”37:31Aug 21, 2026
- California's Billionaire Tax ControversyA proposed tax on billionaires raises questions about its feasibility and impact.“I think it's ridiculous. I think it's going to cost them more.”46:57Aug 21, 2026
