, passive income, and “making it big,” billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban offers a sobering—and inspiring—alternative. If he were 21 and starting over, he wouldn’t be gambling on crypto or selling oddball inventions. He’d be doing one thing: obsessively learning artificial intelligence. In a resurfaced video from his South by Southwest (SXSW) talk, the Dallas Mavericks’ former majority owner and famed Shark Tank investor laid out what he believes is the single most valuable skill of our time. “If I were 16, 18, 20, or 21 starting today, I would spend every waking minute learning about AI,” he said to a packed crowd. “Even while I’m sleeping, I would have podcasts playing about AI.”

Cuban, who famously turned his early ventures like MicroSolutions and Broadcast.com into multimillion-dollar successes, admits his journey began with many stumbles—including trying to sell powdered milk. But unlike those ventures, which required risky bets and long hours, AI, he believes, is a game-changer that anyone can learn and use with little upfront capital.

“This isn’t about building the next Google,” Cuban emphasized. “Just understanding how to use AI can create real value.” His advice to beginners? Start with simple AI tools like NotebookLM and approach small businesses. “Charge $25 an hour to show them how to boost productivity and cut costs,” he said, outlining a direct, scalable business model that turns knowledge into immediate income.

Despite his bullish stance on AI, Cuban is careful to strike a note of realism. Artificial intelligence alone won’t make anyone rich or successful—it’s a tool, not a shortcut. “AI is never the answer,” he said. “AI is a tool. Whatever skills you have, you can use AI to amplify them.”

This, he argues, is where many go wrong—believing that simply learning AI will make them indispensable. But Cuban insists the true differentiator still lies in human traits like curiosity, persistence, and hustle. “Your mind is just going to go nuts,” he said, encouraging young entrepreneurs to dive in and explore the limitless possibilities AI presents—from startups to consulting gigs. Mark Cuban's life is a masterclass in pivoting, adapting, and always staying curious. From working as a bartender and getting fired from his first tech job in Dallas, to building and selling MicroSolutions for $6 million and later selling Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion, Cuban’s success story has been anything but conventional. As of May 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $5.7 billion. Cuban’s message is clear: this era’s greatest currency isn’t capital or connections—it’s knowledge.

Whether you’re a student, a job-hopper, or a frustrated corporate employee, Cuban’s advice hits like a lightning bolt: “If you're just getting started today… you will find a million different ways you can leverage this.”