Mark Cuban slams critics of Elon Musk, says there's usually 1 way Americans get 'insanely rich.' Ditch your envy now Thomas Kent June 17, 2026 9 min read Anna Webber/ Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. A social media user criticizing capitalism got an unexpected response this week when billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban jumped into the debate (1) with a multi-paragraph defense. The exchange began after X user @hashjenni (2) posted: "Capitalism is better than socialism because one man gets to be a trillionaire instead of everyone having healthcare." Top Picks Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here's how to fix it ASAP JP Morgan sees gold hitting $6,000/oz before 2027 — and a Gold IRA lets you hold the physical metal while deferring the tax bill.
Get your free guide from Priority Gold The ultra-rich use these 5 real estate strategies to build wealth while they sleep — you can start with just $100 The post appeared to catch Cuban's attention. "The reason anyone gets insanely rich is almost always because of the stock market," Cuban replied. "And the reason they get rich from the stock market, is because 150m Americans decided they wanted to own shares of stocks directly, or through their retirement plans." Cuban argued that Americans aren't merely spectators to the rise of billionaires like Elon Musk.
Instead, he said millions of investors have helped create those fortunes through retirement plans, brokerage accounts, mutual funds and ETFs. "One Hundred Fifty Million Americans. About 60% of adults," Cuban wrote.
"Effectively believing that Elon Musk and many billionaires could make them wealthier and help them achieve a better life." The billionaire went on to argue that reducing billionaire wealth by undermining stock ownership would ultimately hurt ordinary Americans. "If you want Elon Musk, and most billionaires to no longer be that rich, convince those 150m to sell their stocks, funds, ETFs whatever," Cuban wrote. "Of course you would wipe out the net-worth of most of those people." While Cuban's comments focus on healthcare policy, his central message was aimed at investors: Ownership matters.
That said, those ideas aren't mutually exclusive. Supporting broader healthcare access doesn't mean embracing socialism, nor does participating in the stock market beget financial security — let alone billionaire status. Still, the same stock market that creates billionaire fortunes is also the primary way everyday Americans can build wealth.
Become an owner According to Federal Reserve data (3) and recent Gallup polling (4), roughly 58% to 62% of Americans participate in the stock market, with some holding these investments indirectly through workplace retirement plans, pensions, IRAs and individual brokerage accounts. Story Continues To Cuban, those investors are part of the reason entrepreneurs and corporate leaders can build enormous fortunes in the first place. "Capitalism is better than socialism because 150m Americans can influence exactly what happens in this country," Cuban concluded.
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