Mark Cuban has said that he has a „love-hate relationship“ with Donald Trump. The two have traded insults and compliments for years.
Mark Cuban described his friendship with Donald Trump in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone as a „love-hate relationship.“
Over the years, the two billionaires have cycled through seeing each other as rivals, business partners, friends, and enemies.
Cuban once supported Trump’s political aspirations, but later became an outspoken critic and shared what caused him to change his mind. Still, he congratulated Trump this week on winning his second term in the White House.
Here’s a look back at Cuban and Trump’s complicated friendship.Mark Cuban and Donald Trump started out as rivals with dueling business-themed reality shows.
Trump’s show, „The Apprentice“, and Cuban’s show, „The Benefactor“, both began airing in 2004.
In a 2004 blog post titled „Thank you, Donald“, Cuban wrote that he took offense when Trump told the Chicago Sun-Times that „you’ll have 100 people trying to do shows a little bit like us.“
„Let’s get some things cleared up in case anyone is confused“, Cuban wrote. „The Benefactor is going to be nothing like The Apprentice. Why? Because, Donald, we are not alike in any way.“
He recalled meeting Trump at a Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago in 1999, after which Trump invited him to meet in New York. Cuban wrote that Trump had covered „every inch of every wall“ in his office with photos and magazine covers of himself.
„After leaving your office, I promised myself that if I ever got liquid and had an obscene amount of money in the bank, I would make a point not to remind myself and everyone else around me of it every minute of every day unlike you“, he wrote. „I guess our definition of success is just completely different.“
After Cuban published his blog post, Trump said that he didn’t remember meeting Cuban. Cuban wrote a follow-up blog post titled „Of course you don’t remember, Donald.“
„The Apprentice“ aired for 15 seasons, while „The Benefactor“ was canceled after six episodes.In 2009, they teamed up for an event with Cuban’s cable network, HDNet.
Cuban’s cable network, which he founded in 2001, aired sporting and entertainment events including mixed martial arts.
At a 2009 press conference at Trump Tower, Trump and Donald Trump Jr. joined Cuban to promote an „Affliction: Trilogy“ event featuring MMA fighters Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko.
„Donald’s amazing“, Cuban said at the press conference. „He sets the standard for marketing and promotion and to get him involved in MMA and to partner with him is an amazing opportunity for HDNet.
