Mark Cuban wants to solve wealth inequality by making employers choose between paying higher taxes or giving every member of staff company stock

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban, reportedly worth over $10 billion, is actively addressing wealth inequality and proposing solutions. The 'Shark Tank' star has previously awarded company stock to employees of his media company, Broadcast.com, resulting in three hundred employees becoming millionaires when Yahoo acquired the company in 1999. Cuban has also given equity and cash bonuses to employees at his IT consulting company, MicroSolutions.

Cuban now suggests that founders and CEOs who do not share the wealth generated by their companies with their employees should be forced to pay higher corporate taxes. He made this proposal on X after being asked about his plan to reduce wealth inequality across the country. Cuban believes that if founders and CEOs get rich from market success, so should their employees. He emphasizes that wealthy individuals typically become so by selling their companies or taking them public.

Critics argue that increased taxes may lead to higher costs for businesses, which are often passed onto consumers through higher prices, placing additional burdens on an already inflation-stricken public. However, Cuban defends his stance, stating that entrepreneurs decide their acceptable margins, and higher taxes can contribute to community welfare.

Wealth inequality has been on the rise in recent years, with the bottom 50% of the wealth distribution owning $4.27 trillion in assets as of Q1 2026, a more than 300% increase over the past decade. Meanwhile, the top 0.1% own $25.07 trillion in assets, representing a smaller percentage increase but a much higher value.

Cuban's proposal echoes the thinking of other entrepreneurs, such as Nvidia's Jensen Huang and his leadership team, who have benefited significantly from their stock holdings. Huang has been increasing company spending on operating expenses to reward his 42,000 employees, believing that taking care of people ensures everything else follows. Cuban concurs, warning that growing income disparity could lead to unrest and further division, which he considers the most expensive tax on every business.