"Conceptually, I love it" — Shark Tank star Mark Cuban shares his opinion on Elon Musk's impact on politics

Shark Tank star Mark Cuban was recently featured in a YouTube video titled Mark Cuban on Trump’s Tariffs, Elon Musk, and Biggest Shark Tank Regrets, which was posted on April 17, 2025. In the video, Mark shared his thoughts on multiple issues and developments, including the impact of the decisions made by the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

While reflecting on the numerous actions taken by the owner of Tesla and X regarding federal employees and the consumption of government funds, Mark mentioned:

"Conceptually, I love it. I mean, I've said it forever in a day that government can be, you know, 30% smaller, but you gotta do it strategically, again."

The Shark Tank panelist's criticism of Elon Musk came as a response to the latter's decision to fire federal employees and withdraw funding from various projects. While Elon believed it was a convenient and efficient way for cost-cutting and keeping track of the allotment of the government's money, Mark stated it impacted people's livelihoods in ways that were not considered.

Consequently, the investor, while appreciating Elon's concepts, wanted him to be more strategic and mindful of the consequences of his decisions.

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"That's a big hit" — Shark Tank expert Mark Cuban comments on grants being cut from the University of Iowa

The interviewer started the segment by asking the Shark Tank star if he had "some beef" with Elon. Mark immediately dismissed the claim, saying Elon and he liked commenting on each other's businesses. He then praised the "concept of DOGE," appreciating how it helped manage and lower the federal expenditure.

"We spend too much, there's too many people, too many employees in government, you know, too many buildings, too many office leases etc.," Mark said.

Despite commending the initiative, the panelist remained critical about its consequences and sustained impact on people's livelihoods. He wanted the government and the head of DOGE to contemplate the "second-order and third-order impacts" of the financial cuts.

Mark then explained that the layoffs and financial constraints were not as simple as running X or any other company because it concerned the country. Although he appreciated the financial and personnel cuts, he was not fond of their execution.

"There are a lot of cities, and towns, and states that are really dependent on government grants, government office buildings, government employment," Mark added.

He then stated the example of a city in West Virginia, where Elon fired hundreds of federal employees, revealing that the city was "struggling." Mark cited another example, saying:

"NIH cut grants to the University of Iowa and other schools, too, to the tune of like $79 million. That's a big hit to the state of Iowa and Iowa City."

The Shark Tank expert said that if Elon had given the people, states, and companies on the "s**tlist" 12 months to figure out things or come up with a reason why funds should not be cut, things would have been smoother. Even if it was "bad for the overall economy," Mark believed it would have given the people a chance.

Mark then continued criticizing Elon's decision to fire employees, cut grants, and close offices "on a whim." He was certain that the "downstream effects" would be significant. When the interviewer asked Mark what he would have done, he said he would have analyzed the numbers before making announcements. Additionally, he would have given states a "chance to respond."

"When you take the approach that you cut everything and then the 10% you shouldn't have fired, you bring back, that works when it's your company," he added.

However, Mark stated that the same strategy would not work when implemented in smaller towns in the country.

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Shark Tank episodes can be streamed on Hulu.