"Put it in a Folder"—Shark Tank star Mark Cuban shares what he learned from his unique relationship with Elon Musk

Shark Tank star Mark Cuban recently talked about his interactions with Elon Musk. During his appearance on Fishbowl podcast hosted by Jules Terpak, Cuban explained his method for keeping track of the frequent online mentions from Musk. In the December 17, 2024 interview, he said:

"Funny like I went back so anytime he mentioned me or referenced me directly or indirectly um I would bookmark it and then I would put it in a folder."

The Shark Tank investor highlighted the "folder" approach, which involved organizing the many times Elon Musk referenced him online. Cuban provided insights into how he navigated the back-and-forth with Musk and what others might learn from this dynamic.

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Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban reflects on his relationship with Elon Musk: Insights and lessons learned

The "Elon Folder" approach

In the podcast, Cuban explained that he would monitor Musk's posts on X, particularly when the latter mentioned him either directly or indirectly. The Shark Tank highlighted several instances when Musk referenced him. While some of these references were negative, Cuban humorously recounted an incident when Musk called him a "liar" and used various insults, including emojis, in his X posts.

"I went back the other day and just in 2024 put aside before that just more than 40 times I stopped at 40 m like calling me a liar calling me you know a ***, emoji calling me this telling me that the whole Rachel Matthew thing...I mean just ridiculous sh*t."

Despite the frequent negative mentions, Cuban added that there was no lasting enmity between them. He described the relationship as "nothing there" in terms of productive communication.

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The brief texting period

Cuban also shared an anecdote from around eight years ago, when he and Musk would occasionally text each other. At one point, Musk sent Cuban a message saying:

"My girlfriend says... you should run for president"

Cuban dismissed the message with a "no."

The relationship appeared to be friendly at the time, but it took a turn after Cuban made a minor critical comment about Tesla in an article. Cuban recalled receiving a text from Musk with a link to that article, stating "f*** you."

This message marked the end of their direct texting communication, although Cuban did send a congratulatory message to Musk after the birth of one of his children, which Musk replied to humorously, "Mars Needs people."

Despite the tensions in their relationship, the Shark Tank panelist remarked:

"I have no animosity towards Elon at all."

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Moving forward with a professional outlook

While Cuban acknowledged the ups and downs in his relationship with Musk, he emphasized the importance of moving forward. Cuban remarked:

"You got to move forward... I'm an American first and if I can do something to help, just like last time, I helped them."

Cuban noted that their interactions weren't particularly productive. He concluded the interview saying that the back-and-forth between two didn't hold a significant weight for him and was not something that required much "reflection".

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