These Are Mark Cuban's Most Profitable Business Investments Ever

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"Number one rule of investing: When you don't know what to do, do nothing." That may sound counterproductive to some, but this is the advice given by one of the most financially successful self-made multi-billionaires in the world, Mark Cuban. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in July 1958, Cuban has had aspirations of big business ever since the age of 12, when his first venture was came selling garbage bags to save for an expensive pair of basketball shoes. He ran a number of other small business ventures before attending the University of Pittsburgh, then transferring to the Indiana University in Bloomington, where he would graduate from the Kelley School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in management. Cuban is a leader among the list of other super-successful entrepreneurs in his category, such as Barbara Corcoran, Vera Wang, Richard Branson, and Adam Green. But how did this hard-working, tenacious investor go from sleeping on the floor of an apartment to having a net worth of $4.7 billion? Here are some of Mark Cuban's most profitable business investments ever!

Tower Paddle Boards

Besides the establishment of his own audio net company, MicroSolutions, which he sold to another online service provider called CompuServe for $6 million in 1990, Cuban has since then made many wise investments that have turned over major cash. The Shark Tank reality TV star made an investment for a 30 percent stake in a stand-up paddleboard startup called Tower Paddle Boards. The paddleboard company was founded in 2010 by Stephan Aarstol and attracted the eye of Cuban while he was on season 3 of Shark Tank and has remained a subsidiary of Mark Cuban Companies (MCC). He invested $150,000 in 2012 and due to Mark Cuban's appearance on Shark Tank, the company received some decent exposure and generated $60,000 in orders as a result. However, it wasn't until 2014 that Tower Paddle Boards was named the No. 1 fastest-growing company in San Diego. In 2016, it was put on the "Hot 100" list of the world's most innovative e-retailers.

Nuts 'N More

The founder and CEO of Nut 'N Things, Peter Ferreira, also has a similar entrepreneurial story to Mark Cuban as he began his first entrepreneurial venture as a barber at age 13. Ferreira founded the company in 2010 as a company that specializes in creating nut butter containing flaxseed and that is high in protein. In addition to its superb nutritional benefits, it also comes in a variety of tasty flavors, such as mint chocolate chip or spiced pumpkin pie, according to Inc.com. While it may not register as the most advanced vegan food on the planet, the company's products are a great source of protein without having to consume meat. While on Shark Tank, Cuban and Robert Herjavec partnered to invest $250,000 for a 35% share of the company. Cuban lists this as one of his best investments on Shark Tank as the company grossed more than $30 million in sales in 2018. That's what you call money well spent!

Ten Thirty One Productions

Cuban prefers to put his money up for a stake in a company as opposed to his own neck, even though the amount he invests can make him appear in over his head. And if you knew the company he invested $2 million in for a 20% share of the company, the comparison would make a lot more sense! In 2013, one of Cuban's biggest investments while on his five seasons on Shark Tank was for CEO Melissa Carbone's horror attraction company, Ten Thirty-One Productions. The company was founded back in 2009 with the intent of it becoming the largest haunted hayride in Los Angeles, according to Business Insider. The company's spooky products and services have been making major bank during the Halloween season. Cuban even told Business Insider that the company is among the few he has invested in that clocks around $500,000 annually in profits.

Rugged Maniac Obstacle Race

Another one of Cuban's wise but expensive investments was that of the Rugged Maniacs Obstacle Course which he made in 2014. Rugged Maniac was established in 2010 by its founder and CEO, Brad Scudder, and co-founder Rob Dickens, coming from the background of an attorney and a lawyer, respectively. While it is no American Ninja Warrior, Rugged Maniacs is described as a mud run, where participants run a 3-mile course through muddy obstacles such as mudslides, scaling large walls, and crawling through tunnels. Their first event was held in Massachusetts in 2010, featuring accommodative beers, food, and music with 200 participants in attendance. However, in 2014, the Shark Tank honcho, Mark Cuban, invested $1.75 million for a 25% share in the company, making it another one of his biggest investments on the show.

Dallas Mavericks

From the rapper Jay-Z owning the Brooklyn Nets to the basketball legend Michael Jordan owning The Hornets, it's not uncommon for the rich to put their investments into a major league sport like soccer, basketball, NFL football, or even professional boxing. And Cuban is no exception to the list. Early on in the year 2000, he bought a majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks from real estate developer and businessman, H. Ross Perot Jr., for $285 million. In a Forbes interview with NBA All-Star Chris Paul, Cuban tells of how he managed to go from a courtside fan to the owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. Since Cuban's takeover of the team, they won the 2011 NBA Finals and began a road to redemption, led by the Pittsburgh hustler himself.

Sources: Forbes, CNBC, Business Insider, Inc.com, MCC