Had Mark Cuban been a quite guy everyone would have called him a genius. He has been right several times and has created or made investements in winning companies that were ahead of their time ( Live Broadcast on net several years ago, HD several years ago,a better distribution model for small movies a few years ago and you can bet there is a need for this one, Redswoosh, selling a hedge fund 3 years in). I mean seriously, most VCs cannot tell you they have had this much success. Most VCs are not billionaire. Frankly if you started with zero dollars and made a Billionaire out of yourself, you are one smart guy.

Survivorship Bias.

Maybe not the same success, but certainly a lot of it. Selling garbage bags, teaching disco, Microsolutions, Broadcast.com, selling a Hedgefund, angel investments, Mavs, etc. He's been hustling since he was a kid. Sure a lot of his wealth is due to timing and luck but it certainly wasn't on accident.

You're right, though I'm sure the story has grown in the telling. The point is that there's lots of other people who do that and aren't billionaires. Its necessary but not sufficient. However I should have been better in giving him respect because he'd probably agree with me about luck.

I just react badly to anything that includes "Kevin Rose" in the same class with a billionaire.

I've known the story for 6 years; it hasn't changed at all. Cuban is much better known in the sports scene than in the tech scene.

When do you get to tell us what Rose did or am I just ignorant?

I tend to be cagey about it, because a. I still own some stock, b. I'm still subject to a legal agreement and c. I'm too busy to actually figure out in detail how b affects what I can and can't say.

Hopefully they get bought soon so you can write your tell all book. :p

..kidding...about the later - not the former.

Kevin Rose was on the panel with Mark Cuban when he said that in response to imindi.