No. Not every company. Just those that benefit in the billions of dollars from a. Government policy or action.
It’s a far better approach than taking shares from individuals and selling them
Just to be clear, because you sound bonkers to me, you are advocating the US government take ownership in every company. As a form of wealth tax.
MAGA Mark
Nationalize SpaceX!
Historically, even during the high-tax era of the 50s-60s, did the U.S. govt own partial stakes in any large publicly-held corporation?
What company doesn’t benefit from billions of dollars of government policy? Do any of your businesses use roads, courts, call the police, hire public school educated people and on and on? My house is taxed on unrealized gains every year to pay for much of that. Yet your billions of assets are not.
We could...I don't know...maybe have them pay taxes like everyone else? 🤔
I think a better way would be to make the use of stock as collateral in a loan taxable. So many rich people avoid taxes by borrowing against stock instead of taking a salary. You could set limits before the tax takes affect to allow people to borrow for home improvements, medical bills, etc.
That dilutes everyone else’s earnings per share.
No. No government should partake in private companies profits. Every company. Even if subsidies create tax deductions or credits based on government tax laws. If you do it no strings attached. We passed the mortgage interest deduction so people would buy houses. No!
I'm sure the money from our shiny new 10% will trickle on down to us laborers who built it all.
Why is this easier than just taxing them? And while we’re at it, break them up if they get too big. Isn’t that what happened in the 50’s, when America was “great?”
After the government takes part ownership, they’ll try to manipulate the corporation’s policies and even the manufacturing processes. Just like China does now.
i walk into a walmart and buy 2 pairs of workboots pay 6.3% sales tax
I WALK ONTO WALL STREET BUY 2 WORK BOOT COMPANIES PAY 0% SALES TAX
littleguy vS BIG GUY
I keep thinking WTF do the shareholders think, then of course I remember that those are mostly hedge fund and mutual fund operators who are sucking on the WH teat.
This is a ridiculous argument. In some way every business benefits from government policy. Did you offer the City of Dallas a stake in the Mavericks because they built a stadium?
What about oil companies? They get favorable tax treatment, should we own a piece of them?
Mark argues like his lawyers are not just going to figure out the loopholes in any system to get him as close to "pays no taxes" as possible.
Agreed. CHIPS act was incredibly stupid, but if the US government is going to give corporations (and the rich people that own them) multibillion dollar taxpayer funded grants, the US taxpayer should get a security (whether debt or equity) in return that is priced fairly. #econsky
Mark. You have enough money to get a learning coach and learn so fucking history and ethics.
You are describing either communism or fascism depending on specifics.
Would the transfer of shares to pay the wealth tax be a taxable event resulting in recognition of the gains accrued on the transferred shares? (I.e., so the act of paying the wealth tax would also result in triggering capital gains tax too?)
Perhaps my BIGGEST issue are the government people doing the buying. Zero trust in any of them.
This is ridiculous. Are you trying to mock socialism with these comments? I don't think even socialists would support everything you are advocating.
Some of us just hope we have enough to pay tax. Many don't make enough to owe tax. I will take some of the billionaires' money off their hands.....
acceptable use case as long as you proof read
Sort of the solution to the Panic of 1893.
Mark, it's very easy to ensure that a company benefits in the billions of dollars from a government policy or action. All I have to do is say, "it's my policy to enact tariffs of 10000% in vertical X", then say, "but I won't if you give me 25% of company Y". Trivially easy.
What about the oil industry? They get a lot of subsidies from taxpayers (billions).
So long as the govt has no say over the company. Share profits? Sure. Control the company? Absolutely not.
Do you expect this to happen with SpaceX?
What? I missed something. Who's advocating for taking stocks away from individuals?
@mcuban.bsky.social A question for you. How does a Government, who is to be the regulator over the industry, square with the diametrically opposed desire to extract wealth from that same industry as a large stakeholder, now? That alone seems very problematic.
Get big money out of politics by giving the same amount to each candidate for a federal government office. Also limit campaigns to 120 days before the election.
Tax "high net worth" individuals equitably and remove loopholes that allow them to pay 0 taxes.
Tax corporations like #2
when we don't address the corporate advantages up front - we end up supporting back door take backs that make us part of the problem we didn't fix to begin with - being brave and doing the right thing at the right time matters
WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS? Nippon Steel successfully acquired U.S. Steel in June 2025 after the U.S. government, through President Trump, approved the deal with the condition that Nippon Steel provide a "golden share" giving the U.S. government significant control and oversight over key decisions.
So, more government handouts to the rich?
Not seeing the downside of billionaires who own an outsized portion of the stock market being forced to sell.
"The top 10% of households by net worth control approximately 93% of household stock market wealth, a record high..."
Billionaires live on borrowed money. You don't have to force stock sales. Figure out what they buy and tax it. Private jets, yachts, fourth homes, artwork, collectables, whatever.
Thanks Mark. Companies exist to serve society. Not the reverse. When they forget this we need to always remind them they are not above the people they serve. Never.
I like this idea very much
Um, isn’t the whole point of the vast corporate lobbying industry to gain favours, exemptions, special regulatory treatment, etc., for their corporate clients and ensure they benefit (often the tune of billions) from various government policies/actions?
But the only beneficiaries of the money a Trump federal government will take from these corporations are the billionaires and the same corporations that are receiving the tax cuts. It's not like this regime is going to spend it on programs that will benefit us as a society.
WOW, how very fascist of an idea. Pretty much what Mussolini implemented.
That makes the government a direct recipient of benefits when one of those companies wins. IE. creates bias to help those companies win over non US gov owned entities. IE completely distorts the market and would fuck up economics .
Haven’t seen any posts here from you lately. Whadup?
So using government funded research to develop drugs means you must to give a percent of your company to said government? And using tech developed by universities funded through govt grants mean you give a % of your company to the govt?
So all companies in the US or that benefit from US infrastructure around the world, military, diplomacy, etc.? I’m behind it. But don’t limit it to express budget line items. Maybe better, instead do a flat min tax of all business entities?
This would be true if the government weren't currently doing an authoritarian takeover and taking control of the largest companies wasn't part of that process.
Why not just increase the corporate tax rate and close loopholes?
Mark, no, just no.
Sorry, Mr. Cuban. I think you are great. But none of us give a flying mouse fart if a billionaire has to sell off stock to cover their taxes. Some of us have to sell our stuff or do without to pay our taxes. Especially true for us small business owners who can’t invest in growth bc of taxes.
We all understand it's slightly communist right?
It's nonprofitization of wealth. I'd feel better if the entity holding the shares were independent from the federal government, with an independent volunteer unpaid board. That model has been around 100+ years.
Isn't that exactly what just happened with Intel...stocks for government cash. The US government now has ownership in business...it's the communist way after all
Now that's a really interesting proposition when you limit it like that/
That doesn't help the little guy. The government portion is still being withheld from being distributed back into the economy. Unless the government sells it's shares. Might as well just force the mega billionaires to do it to begin with.
The beautiful thing about your complaints is we've been robbed so badly that we simply don't give a damn, Mark. If you don't want this to happen then incentivize us to not steal it from you.
To much government interference with private companies. Why does the government have to sell the stock?
Just effing tax them! Hands off…too complicated/too complicit.
So basically you are a communist now mark?
Wouldn’t that further perpetuate favoritism because of the government’s vested interests in companies they own?
You (I hope) know I am a huge fan of yours, and have been for a long time...
But, are you saying that the nationalization of private companies is a good idea?
We are in a strange era when the capitalists are calling for the government to have voting influence in private biz
I don’t know about anyone else but all this financial talk with Mr Cuban and others is not the most important issue. We need to work to shut down the theft of our democracy!
So how much of Tesla and SpaceX?
This is all bullshit. Dicking around the edges picking winners and losers. If we ever want to address the deficit issue, US needs rational tax policy - including substantial increases in income over $300K, capital gains and businesses. Trickle down economics caused most of our deficit problem.
So who will define what corporations benefit from a government policy or action. If the company pays so little their employees require federal food assistance then should we take some ownership.
The left has to learn not everything Trump does is bad. Bernie Sanders agrees with this just to put it into perspective for people!
given the strategy of the rich is to borrow against their shares (assume @mcuban.bsky.social does) which you can spend (no taxable income) and when you die, use trusts to minimize estate tax. So make loan taxable at ordinary income (maybe >$1 million), so better to sell at cap gains as less
SpaceX and Starlink come to mind. Hmm...
Mark you know that would just bring out more corporate welfare goblins like Elon. All of those laws are always writren by 70 year old men and then exploited by people that were born rich and privileged because those are the only people that can take advantage of them.
How is an asset tax different from a property tax on real estate?
Hitler dictated what company did what and it started with the “state” taking shares/control.
The problem with unrealized gains is fundamentally the failure to tax those when passed along - due to step up. And the ability for those with large unrealized gains to borrow cheaply against them without ever needing to sell them..... Essentially, the gains are never taxed, but still valuable
Also, there should not be billionaires. Like… at all.
Mark, could this also be a way for the public to recoup some billions of taxpayer monies that were given to certain companies for R&D?
@mcuban.bsky.social The easiest answer is the most obvious one. STOP USING STOCK TO PAY SALARIES. Want a 100 million dollar salary, get it in cash and pay taxes on it. Easy Peasy. Stock is purchased not given away, want stock... BUY IT just like your employees
This is a really interesting discussion. Maybe I missed an original thread, but are you in essence suggesting the slice of Intel that was just grabbed by the Trump administration, has some merit? I'm open to that argument but the method used in this case, seems entirely corrupt & abusive.
so basically not every company should get the “government fairy dust,” only the ones printing billions off those policies… feels less like helping businesses grow and more like picking winners in advance. but then who decides which ones actually deserve it?
So Intels competitors must be pumped!!!
what was that about billionaires shouldn't exist again!??
THIS is the EXACT Reason WHY
and YOU have no problem making the case
Then America would get a fair share of the taxes they owe
So tomorrow Trump should announce the govt will take ownership interest in every Co that took Covid employment retention credits. Doesn’t matter that they were already awarded the money and it wasn’t in the bill. If you don’t give it he will ban you from any future govt tax credits or contracts.
We should have taken shares when the government bailed out all those companies during the COVID crash and the 2008 crash. Isn't that what investors do?
I don't mind this mark, I would prefer Congress doit and it be more defined by law
I feel this way about Sports Franchise that take public money. If the a Football team wants public money for a stadium the money given needs to be a taken as a percentage of ownership of the franchise until it's paid back.
Communism: actual communist states have typically been one-party, authoritarian systems characterized by state ownership of resources and a central role for the Communist Party.
The US is becoming China.
So just to be clear Communism is good now?
Just like Orban, Putin, Xi - from whom he learned about how to foster a kleptocracy. My question is...who makes the decisions? What is Congress' role? And will the company shares end up in the "Trump Library" along with the plane?
Hitler move! When are people going to wake up! We’re months away from full blown Nazi takeover. Trump voters and non voters can take full credit.
That would then give the government the incentive to punish other companies, so this one that the "public" owns does better. It reduces competition amongst companies.
Taxing the wealthy doesn't have those incentives.
Okay. That makes sense.
This is the essence of socialism
More ways to screw the working citizenry! Billionaires already own the government!
that's virtually every company. i don't see the us getting a stake in any of musk's companies that only exist because of government subsidies
Would this be built into corporate charters and be defined with an IRS classification? I've been part of both for profit and non profit entities and it seemed there was something in-between missing. Companies that leveraged public goods but also had shareholders should have public obligations.
