Mark Cuban's Humble 1999 Celebration: $5.7B Deal Followed By Middle Seat Flight To Vegas

Billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, has a multi-faceted life. The Shark Tank star has built a career creating and investing in many profitable companies. However, despite his remarkable success, he has maintained a simple, grounded life. 

In 1999, when Cuban sold his company Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.7 billion in stock, he went to Las Vegas to celebrate his success. He bought a ticket on a Southwest flight and ended up in the middle seat – facing backwards, reports CNBC.  

"When I sold my company for billions of dollars to go and celebrate, I was on a Southwest flight," CNBC quoted Cuban speaking to ABC News. "I was in the center seat facing the wrong way on the plane thinking. This is just perfect."

Cuban told CNBC that "he didn't change much after selling his first company, keeping the same car, house, and furniture."

"The wisest advice I ever got was live like a student. That served me a long, long time," said Cuban. 

However, according to the report, when Broadcast.com went public in 1998, Cuban celebrated first becoming a billionaire by dancing in the nude.

Also Read: Mark Cuban Sold His Company For $6M At 32 But Didn't Stop: Why The 64-Year-Old Billionaire Is Still Working Today

"Obviously I knew exactly what the number was to become a billionaire. The price gets up there, and then I did my little naked billionaire dance," CNBC quoted him saying. 

Earlier, during an interview, he shared his thoughts on misconceptions about becoming and staying super-rich. 

"Everybody thinks that money changes you. And it can, in many respects, but it doesn't have to," he said. 

"Even when I was dead a -- broke sleeping on the floor, I was having fun, hanging out with my friends. And those guys are still my same friends now," he added. 

Cuban not only lives a low-key lifestyle, but he also ensures that his kids understand the value of money and spend it wisely. So, he tells them that to be successful, "you're going to have to work for it," like he did.

Now Read: Billionaire Mark Cuban Sounds Alarm On 'Shark Tank' Scams, Begs FTC To Crack Down On Imposters  

Some elements of this story were previously reported by Benzinga and it has been updated.

Photo: Shutterstock and JD Lasica on Wikimedia Commons