Mark Cuban has said he moved into the drug pricing space because he had the ability to go ahead with it. He wasn’t blocked by money or access, so he decided to step in rather than ignore the problem.
Over the years, he’s made choices that follow his own logic, whether that meant buying his hometown basketball team or locking in a lifetime airline deal. Starting an online pharmacy feels like another version of that same instinct.
Why Mark Cuban Challenged Big Pharma With Cost Plus Drugs
Appearing on The Bulwark podcast, Cuban said, “I’m rich as f***, and I didn’t care about the money. My next dollar is not going to change my life.” The host pointed out that the U.S. puts more money into healthcare than any other country. Even with that level of spending, the outcomes don’t really stand out.
In some cases, the quality of care and outcomes are lower than in other countries. Cuban said he agreed with that view and added that a big part of the issue is how little visibility there is into drug pricing.
He explained that it started when a doctor contacted him about setting up a small pharmacy to help with shortages. That conversation pushed him to look more closely at how prices are set and who really controls them.
Why Cuban Built a Different Model
Cuban has argued that the companies sitting between drugmakers and patients don’t actually lower costs the way they claim. He says they often belong to large insurers and use complicated pricing structures that push prices higher while keeping the details out of sight.
In the end, many people still pay the full sticker price at the pharmacy. And this happens after they’re told someone negotiated a better deal on their behalf.
Disdain for the traditional models led to the conception of Cost Plus Drugs. The setup is simple by design, removing the layers that often obscure real costs.
Prices follow a clear formula, and there aren’t hidden add-ons buried in the process. The company’s mantra is to make buying medicine less confusing and less expensive for regular people.
Mark explained this philosophy by saying, “People who can’t afford their medications, people who have to ration their medications… if they knew what the price was, then they would have better options.”
Impact of Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs
Mark gave a concrete case to show the difference. For instance, a medication that once came with a four-figure price tag ($2,000) through the usual system is now sold for a small fraction of that amount (at $34.50) on his platform.
Cuban’s company gained exposure once people started telling each other about it. Traction was prominent within patient communities, and that’s how awareness spread.
The company has expanded quickly ever since its launch.
The Shark Tank investor has also said that earlier in his career, he likely would have priced things the same way most companies do. At this stage, though, he feels more responsibility to use his position for something that actually helps people.
“You can’t win all battles. I’d rather at the end of the day be called the guy who didn’t speak up on A, B and C but changed healthcare in the United States,” explained Mark Cuban.
Improving Access to Affordable Medications
Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs isn’t a story about a billionaire chasing another win. It’s about someone using access and resources to fix something that feels broken.
Cuban didn’t try to overhaul everything at once. He picked one problem, focused on it, and built a cleaner version of how it could work. That’s what makes Cost Plus Drugs stand out. It’s practical, it’s simple, and it actually helps people.
