♪ ♪
ANNOUNCER: Coming to you from New York City,
the only city in America,
it's The Daily Show!
Tonight,
hang tight, Florida,
Biden sees dead people,
and Mark Cuban.
This is The Daily Show with Trevor Noah!
-♪ ♪ -(cheering and applause)
What's going on, everybody?
Welcome to The Daily Show. I'm Trevor Noah.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
Thank you for coming out in person!
Thank you for being here, everybody!
Thank you for coming out!
Take a seat! Let's do this.
Take a seat, everyone.
We have got a great show for you tonight.
Florida is bracing for Hurricane Ian,
Joe Biden speaks to the dead,
and we'll tell you why ice cream trucks are evil.
Plus, our guest tonight is the very successful owner
of the Dallas Mavericks
and he's one of the stars of Shark Tank.
Mark Cuban is joining us on the show, everyone!
-(cheering and applause) -It's gonna be a ton of fun!
So let's do this.
Let's jump straight into today's headlines.
-♪ ♪ -(cheering and applause)
Okay.
Before we get into the big stories,
let's catch up on a few other things going on in the world,
starting with Lizzo,
who made history last night at a concert in Washington, D.C.,
when she played a 200-year-old crystal flute
that once belonged to President James Madison.
Yeah. That's a really cool way
to bring attention to American history.
Yeah, because now students will know that James Madison
was that guy who did a collab with Lizzo, you know?
In education news,
an Indiana teenager just learned
that he was the only student in the world this year
to get a perfect score on the AP Calculus exam.
-(gasping, applause) -Yeah. Very impressive.
What's even crazier is that the kid sitting next to him
had the second best score in the world.
What are the chances?
Think about it though-- the only person
in the world with a perfect score.
Do you-- do you have any idea what the odds of that are?
I-I don't. The kid does.
I don't. That's how smart he is. I don't know.
Oh! And, uh, from the world of fine dining,
McDonald's has launched a limited edition series
of Happy Meals
for adults.
-(chuckling) -Yeah. Yeah.
A-And, look, I-I know there are adults
who are nostalgic for Happy Meals, but...
it's not the cheap plastic toys you cherish.
It's that memory of your dad picking you up from school
and then surprising you with a trip to Mickey D's,
getting that Happy Meal in the colorful box, you know,
explaining to you that it's not your fault
and both he and your mother still love you
even though they need to be apart now.
Man, those toys were so cool! Aw!
I remember those days.
All right, but let's move on
to some of the bigger stories of the day,
starting with the monster hurricane
that's shutting Florida down.
Breaking news, Hurricane Ian
has now officially made landfall
as a Category 4 storm.
One of if not the most powerful storm
ever to make landfall on the western coast of Florida.
Truly an historic and potentially catastrophic day
for much of this state.
Ian's impact here as it moves inland
will be a catastrophic surge of up to 18 feet,
destructive wind gusts--
they're going way over a hundred miles an hour--
and flooding rain which could be up to two feet
because of the slow movement of the storm.
This thing is the real deal.
Uh, it is a major, major storm.
Yeah, people, as we speak,
Hurricane Ian is slamming into Florida.
And I honestly hope that everyone in the Sunshine State
is staying safe, you know.
And I mean like-like rest-of-America safe.
Yeah, you know, not like Florida safe, you know.
Like where someone wears, like, a long-sleeved shirt
to wrestle a gator-- "I'm being safe!"
No, not that, just be safe, safe.
'Cause, I mean, I know you guys are brave but this hurricane...
I mean, you heard Governor DeSantis,
he said, "This thing is the real deal.
"Not like the usual stuff I tell you to be scared of
"like drag queens or critical race theory.
"I'm talking real.
Like, I might fly myself to Martha's Vineyard."
(applause and cheering)
Because you understand, you understand,
this storm is way worse than usual, right.
155 mile an hour winds,
violent waves and a storm surge of up to 18 feet high. 18 feet.
You understand most pools aren't even 18 feet deep, right?
That's like eight feet of water
and then maybe like another two to four of piss. That's it.
But hurricane Ian, this shit is wild.
And by the way, why are we still naming national disasters?
Like, why-why do we do this?
It's a weird thing we do.
Hurricane Ian. Uh, Fiona.
Like, we don't do that with personal disasters, you know.
Yeah, there's no doctor who's ever been like,
"I have some bad news.
Jeremy has spread to your brain."
(laughter)
"Just a cute little name I came up
with so you would remember it."
All right, but let's move on to some political news.
After a shaky start to his presidency,
Joe Biden has recently gotten some of his groove back.
He's signing legislation,
he's reestablishing America's status in Europe
and he's the new brand ambassador for aviators. Ooh.
In fact, many people are actually saying
that Biden might have a really good shot
at winning a second term in office.
All he needs to do though is avoid doing stuff like this.
MAN: An awkward moment for President Biden today
at a White House conference.
While calling out people in the audience,
he accidentally included
Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski
who was killed in a car crash over the summer.
And I want to thank all of you here,
including bipartisan elected officials
like Representative McGovern, Senator Braun,
Senator Booker, Representative--
Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie?
I didn't think she... she wasn't going to be here--
to help make this a reality.
-No... -(audience groaning)
No, Joe, what are you doing?
(groans) That's so awkward.
Oh, man, and his explanation didn't help, you know.
He's like, "Of course I knew Jackie was dead.
"I was looking for Jackie Kennedy.
"Where's Jackie Kennedy? Where...?
Where are you, Jackie? Where's Jackie O?"
Uh, look, I mean, I guess on the upside,
at least he noticed that she wasn't there.
This is a good thing.
Yeah, it could have been much worse if he was like,
"Where's Jackie? Oh, there she is, there's Jackie.
Everyone look at Jackie."
People are like, "There's no Jackie."
"She's there. Everybody, see, Jackie."
And, look, I know a lot of people are saying
that this is another example of Biden's brain being foggy,
but I think, if anything, this makes Biden a better president.
Yeah, think of how hard he must be working right now
to keep Americans safe, knowing that Osama bin Laden
is still out there somewhere.
"Where is he, where is he, Jack, where is he?
Where is he?"
And finally, let's talk about air travel.
The number of people flying
is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels,
and if you're one of those people about to take a flight
for the first time in a few years, here's a reminder
that you might experience some weird shit up in the air.
A new video is showing the moment that left passengers
on board an American Airlines flight very confused.
They were on their way to Dallas from LAX when strange noises
started coming from the plane's public announcement system.
Take a listen.
(strange noises)
The video has since gone viral
and has gotten the attention of American Airlines.
Some people have floated around the idea
that the P.A. system was hacked.
The company says the cause was a lot less sinister,
blaming it on a malfunctioning system.
(strange noises)
Hell no.
What the hell was that? You hear that on there?
(growls)
I don't even know how to describe those sounds.
It sounds like Chewbacca getting a hand job or something.
What was that?
And how is this guy so calm?
He's just like, "Yeah, you hear those...?"
Yo, if I'm on a plane that starts making sounds
like-like-like that, I'm getting a parachute.
I'm getting a parachute and a few extra pretzels
and I'm opening the emergency exit, I'm gone.
Now, a lot of people were speculating
that the P.A. system was hacked by a prankster,
but the official explanation from American Airlines is
that the sounds were caused by...
Which somehow is less comforting.
Like, a hacker I understand. Oh, I get it, a hacker.
But-but you're telling me
that the plane is always making sounds
like Frankenstein is getting a prostate exam,
but we're only hearing it now because of a mechanical issue?
That's not reassuring information.
(growls)
To me the best-case scenario is if the pilot accidentally
left the P.A. system on in the cockpit
and all the sounds that the people heard
were coming from him.
(laughter)
All right, everybody, we're on, uh, autopilot now.
Let me just, uh, check some of my crypto investments.
(yelling): Aah!
Oh, that sucked, everybody.
I got to get my spirits back up.
You know what? I'm going to watch that new video
from the Try Guys. Let's see.
(yelling): Aah! Aah!
Oh, that sucked. Oh. Oh, boy.
Wait. What is this giant rat doing in here? What is this?
(yelling): Aah! Aah! Aah.
(makes kissing sounds)
No one can know.
(makes kissing sounds)
That would have been better.
-All right, that's it for the headlines. -(applause, cheering)
But... before we go to a break,
let's catch up on the traffic
with our very own Roy Wood, Jr., everybody.
(applause and cheering)
Yes. Africa.
-What's going on, Roy? What's going on? -What's going on, man?
-Yeah, that looks, uh... -Look, man, a lot of traffic.
You know, people evacuating over there in Florida.
We hope that they stay safe, get the supplies you need.
It could be a long time in the car, you know?
But the thing I always wonder about evacuations--
where-where's... where-where they going?
-(laughter) -Dude, the one car.
It's always just one person going to the danger.
'Cause it's really only two reasons to go into a storm.
That is money and sex.
-Those are the only two reasons. -Wait. What?
Yeah. You ain't never had disaster sex?
-(laughter) -Like during a national disaster.
You ain't never had...?
What y'all been doing in South Africa, you know?
Bro, I've had sex in a tornado,
I've had sex in a wildfire and an earthquake.
Wait, wait, wait. You had sex in an earthquake?
We were having sex, and the earthquake happened.
It's not like the earthquake started,
and I was like, "Quick. Come over here. We got to do it."
-Like, that's not... -Oh, okay. -(laughter)
Yeah, but the cool thing about having sex in an earthquake is
that you get all the credit for making the bed rock,
and that's the dope part
about being in an earthquake.
This thing in Florida is getting really bad.
I heard that the Waffle House is shutting down,
and Waffle House is, apparently, notorious for staying open.
It shows how bad this situation is.
That's one metric, but I don't think the whole waffle House...
If a Waffle House is open on the corner-- I don't think
that's the most accurate measure of how bad a storm is.
You want to know how bad a storm is where you are,
just ask yourself one question.
Can I get cocaine right now?
(laughter)
The last person to evacuate in a storm
is the drug dealers.
You don't understand.
The drug dealer has too much inventory at risk.
They got to be there and make sure all the money stays safe
and make sure all the dope stays safe.
You can't get your cocaine wet.
It turns into stucco. That's terrible. You can't...
So, the drug dealers are what we look out for.
I'm telling you, if a storm is headed your way,
and you can't get cocaine, it's too late.
-Okay. Okay, Roy. Uh, that's... -Truly.
Um, so what's happening in the traffic?
That thing, real quick, about McDonald's.
Oh, yeah. The adult Happy Meal.
-Adult Happy Meal. -Yeah.
Like, I get what McDonald's is trying to do.
People are stressed.
You know, you want people to smile, so you try
and give them a little-- a little-little bit of happiness.
But adults need more than food. See, the food and a toy--
that's for kids. Kids are stupid. But-but grown people--
you got to give grown people more than that.
You can't just give 'em food.
You got to give 'em an experience.
You really want to make adults happy,
this is what McDonald's needs to do. First thing, they--
they got to get a liquor license.
They got to get the games. Ball pit, Skee-Ball, pizza.
Get somebody, like, in a mouse, like-like one of them
rat suits-- get them to stand out front and play
-with everybody, that's what you get. -Wait, wait, that's,
uh, that-that sounds like Chuck E. Cheese.
No, no, I'm tal-I'm talking about something different.
This-this what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about
is, like, you-you get all of that stuff and then, also,
McDonald's could add card games, live entertainment,
a smoking section, gambling, maybe some dice. No windows.
You want the-- you want people to focus on the happiness
that's going on right there, with the money and the food.
So... you're pitching a casino?
No, I'm not pitching a casino. I'm not pitching a--
You know what man, you is a (bleep) hater,
-and you always have been. -What--
-What do mean, I'm a hater? -Every time I propose an idea,
all you do is give me pushback, bro, instead of supporting me.
Instead of supporting me. I thought you were a Black man,
I'm a Black man, you supposed to be helping brothers--
uplift brother-- Like, like the time I pitched you
the box that heat the food up real fast,
you start talking about, "Oh, but that's a microwave."
-So what?! -It was a microwave!
It's not a microwave, it's different! The food go in
through the top, not the front.
That's a totally different device, and I would think that
you, my friend, who I've been rocking with on this show
for seven years, would go, "Roy, that's a good idea,
"here's half a million dollars to invest into your product
and I would love to be a partner in your business."
Yeah, but I can't give you half a million doll--
I don't want to lose a half million dollars.
You're not gonna lo-- This me, baby, you're not gonna
lose the money.
You're not gonna lose the money, dawg.
I'm telling you, man, this is gonna be a good place.
And stop saying "casino," 'cause that's not what it is.
It's a different type of spot that I'm talking about
for to make adults happy-- an adult happy building.
Okay, so, like, can-can I b--
can I buy, like, chips with my money?
That's a good idea. You in?
No, that's a casino, Roy.
-That's not a casino! It's different. -That's a casino!
You know what, Roy, just give us the traffic.
I don't (bleep) with you.
You want your tra-- goo-goog-- Pull up-pull up your--
the Google Maps or something on your phone.
I'm-I'm straight, man.
It's still a casino. Roy Wood Jr., everybody.
All right, when we come back we're gonna talk about
the conspiracy theories that
they do want you to know about. Don't go away.
-It's still a casino! -(cheering, applause)
(cheering and applause)
Welcome back to The Daily Show.
If you've spent any time online at all,
you know that there are conspiracy theories
about everything--
the CIA killed Tupac,
Paul Rudd is immortal,
the moon landing faked us.
But those are just the obvious ones,
which is why we have a special segment
that reveals the conspiracies
you never even knew existed.
-♪ ♪ -KOSTA: Conspiracies.
They're everywhere.
Or are they nowhere?
Or is that exactly what they want you to think?
So that's where my wallet is.
Well, for every "they,"
there's a me.
I'm Kevin Matthew Kelp.
Follow me as I pull back the curtain
to find the truth behind...
the curtain.
This is Project: Conspiracy.
♪ ♪
Everywhere we go, vehicles are spying on us--
cop cars,
unmarked vans,
roller coasters.
But what if I were to tell you
there was another kind of vehicle monitoring Americans
right underneath our noses?
Or should I say our mouths?
I'm talking about ice cream trucks.
The classic all-American ice cream truck.
Seems like just an innocent way to get a tasty treat
until you do some digging.
Meet Harry Burt,
inventor of the ice cream truck.
In 1923, he patented his creation with--
you guessed it--
the U.S. government,
A.K.A. the people monitoring us so closely
they even know my Social Security number.
So why did Burt team up with Big Brother?
I'll tell you why.
Because of the massive amount of intel
these spy-ce cream trucks can gather in plain sight--
foot traffic patterns, snacking habits...
a third thing I'll figure out later.
All they needed was the perfect cover--
the ice cream.
Brain freeze!
Oh! Oh!
It's time to figure out
what exactly these trucks are up to.
One chocolate eclair bar.
Or did you already know that?
Uh, no.
Actually make it two. I'm really hungry,
and I'm getting ready to do a stakeout. Wait.
Not for you, though.
Ten dollars.
Okay, I hope you got what were you looking for,
Mr. Ice Cream Man.
-This is $30. -Dude, don't. Don't.
My interaction with the ice cream gestapo seemed normal.
All too normal.
So I kept watching for hours,
fighting the temptation to get more ice cream,
and only succumbing all of the time.
Why couldn't I resist this truck?
That's when I realized their most dangerous weapon.
(ice cream truck plays "Pop Goes the Weasel")
(Kosta hums "Pop Goes the Weasel")
(continues singing)
The song.
It's the song.
Hey, you spying on kids, you pervert?
No. I mean, kind of, but... (groaning)
It was never just the ice cream.
The truck's siren song was its secret weapon the whole time.
And I'm going to prove it.
(playing "Pop Goes the Weasel")
Hey, where's the ice cream?!
Oh, I don't have any.
I was just proving a theory, and it worked.
So, thank you.
Give us the (bleep) ice cream.
Run! Run!
-Dude, run down! Aah! -(kids screaming)
Music has long been a psychological tool
for deep state forces like the CIA,
the radical left and Chili's,
convincing ordinary citizens to confess, to vote,
and to eat against their own self-interest.
(groans)
Those kids, man.
Those kids are tough.
But if I'm ever gonna get the real scoop
on this musical conspiracy,
I need to go inside the belly of the beast.
Let's go.
WOMAN: So, this is where everything happens,
and this is the ice cream truck, so--
Okay, ma'am, I'm ready for the job interview, so...
Uh, you know we don't make you dress like that anymore, right?
So, where do you turn on the, uh, mind control songs--
excuse me, the, um, ice cream, totally normal-- the jingle?
-(clears throat) So, you're
some sort of undercover conspiracy reporter?
How do you know that? Who do you work for?
You put it on your résumé.
Uh, y-- That's-that's a typo.
The whole job description?
Yeah.
I've been made! Abort! Abort!
I've been made. Abort! Abort! Abort.
(groans) Oh, God. Come on.
So, do you not want the job?
(grunting)
Clearly, whatever deep state agency is behind these trucks
will stop at nothing to stop me from stopping them.
But don't worry, resistance is possible.
(loudly): Thanks to these noise-canceling headphones,
the only thing I'll be hooked on
is the sweet taste of freedom.
-(tires screech) -(honking) -(crash)
♪ ♪
Rest in peace, Kevin. All right, stay tuned,
because when we come back Mark Cuban will be joining me
right here on the show, so don't go away.
(cheering, applause)
(cheering and applause)
Welcome back to The Daily Show.
My guest is an entrepreneur who owns the Dallas Mavericks
and recently started Cost Plus Drug Company,
which makes low-cost versions of generic prescription drugs.
He's here to talk about the new season
of his Emmy-winning hit series Shark Tank,
which airs Friday nights on ABC.
I hate investing in companies run by inventors.
And you just jump from product to product to product.
But I like buying companies from inventors.
So we go in-- we're going into commercial break.
I want you to think what you would want me to pay
-to buy your company out completely. -Oh.
-Whoa! -(gasping) -Don't answer me now.
But when we come back, I want a number.
-Wow. -Done. -(applause)
Please welcome Mark Cuban!
-♪ ♪ -(cheering and applause)
What's up?
-Ah! -Mark Cuban!
-What's up, Trevor? -What's going on?
-Welcome to The Daily Show. -Thanks for having me.
Good to have you here in person. First thing I want to know,
because I see the clips all the time--
-everyone watches the show all over the world... -Yep.
...how many people come up to you
and-and just pitch you things in real life,
like, all the time?
It must be your life now.
-Everywhere. In the bathroom. -Everywhere you go.
Sitting in a urinal. You name it-- I get pitched everywhere.
Wait, what's the best pitch you got at a urinal?
-Do you remember it? -(laughs) Turn around.
(laughing)
-Congratulations. Season 14 of the show. -Yes.
I'd love to know, when you started this,
did you think it was gonna be as big as it is?
-No. No. -Is this a business that you saw coming?
They asked me to come on as a guest in the second season.
And it would bounce around.
Like, when Desperate Housewives--
-remember that show?-- when it wasn't on... -Yes, of course.
-Yeah. Yeah, yeah. -...we'd take its place.
And I thought, "This thing is dead.
So I'm just gonna go on there, raise hell."
Next thing you know, we're in season 14.
Season 14. It's successful.
It's-it's fun. People love the show.
-It's syndicated around the world. -Yeah.
I would love to know what you think makes it so successful.
Why do we all love watching people come on
and then try and pitch you an idea that you either trash
or invest in or completely try and take over?
Because everybody wants to be that person
who can just have an idea in their garage,
-in their bedroom. -Mm-hmm.
You know, we all get it, right?
You get that feeling in your stomach
and you're all fired up and you check it with your friends.
But these are people who made it in front of us.
And if we say yes, they go from being just a business
to being that guy, that business.
And that-that's why.
-Anybody can be that person. -Yeah.
You-- I feel like you were that person.
-I was. -You know? (stammers)
You know, I've-I've read about you,
and there were parts in your life where you thought
you were gonna retire at 35.
And let-- yet here you are, many decades later, still...
-(laughter) -You look like you love--
-No, that's not a diss! It is many decades later. -(laughs)
-Yeah! Thanks a lot, right? -No. Come on.
This is true. You-You're living,
-but it-it feels like you... -(laughs): I'm living!
-(laughing) -No, not-- You g--
They're assholes. Don't listen to them.
-(blows raspberry) -These people are assholes.
What I'm saying is
you-you're having a great time
and it feels like you haven't lost that drive.
-No. -Like, what makes you get out of bed every single day
if it's not the money?
Uh, I'm competitive. I like to kick ass.
-Okay. -If you start a business and you're in my business,
I'm gonna (bleep) you up.
(laughs)
Serious, for real. I mean, I-I love to compete.
-Right, that explains a lot. -It does.
That explains-that explains, like, the Dallas Mavericks.
You know, I was talking to someone who works on the show,
and he said an interesting thing.
He said, he said, uh, Mark Cuban seems to me
like one of the only superfans who took over a team.
'Cause some people buy teams
-because they have the money to buy a team. -Yeah.
You seem like you-you bought a team
-because you love the team, you love the sport. -Yeah.
Everyone said the team changed because of you.
Many people have credited you in the NBA
of being part of changing the culture
of trying to make it so that even the people
who work behind the scenes are happy
and are-and are enjoying themselves.
Like, why did you decide that?
You could've just gone in for a team, but you bought a team.
No, I love basketball.
Like, I'll get out there and I'll shoot with the guys.
I mean, just think about it.
You love to play basketball.
I get to walk into my own arena, get up shots.
You know, and the best part is, you know, game-winning shot,
the crowd's going nuts, everybody's piledriving
and jumping on the guy.
I get to jump on him, too, and I don't...
I don't get you arrested, right?
Anybody else-- you all run there, I'll arrest your ass.
I will run out there, I have fun.
The NBA has been, you know, in an interesting period
where, you know, for a long time politics...
I mean, it was everything, NBA and NFL.
And then, you know, the NBA was seen as this place
-where, you know, players were speaking their mind. -Mm-hmm.
It was a really aware organization.
Adam Silver gets a lot of credit, for instance,
many of the owners do as well.
Recently though there's been a scandal
that has rocked the Phoenix Suns.
And, you know, everyone's been talking about how to deal with
an owner where he's been accused of everything
from racism to inappropriate messages at work.
And I think the fine came down at $10 million and a year.
Some have said it isn't enough, some have said it's just enough.
-What do you make of that? -(sighs)
And more than the fine, 'cause, I mean, that's not your job,
but what do you think the-the position
of an owner in a team needs to be
in terms of how it's outward facing?
Like, why is it important to be a certain way as the owner?
You know, rather than talking about that situation
specifically, I can tell you what I think, right.
I may be responsible for writing the checks
-for the Dallas Mavericks, -Mm-hmm.
but all of North Texas really owns the Dallas Mavericks.
It's the only business where I get emails from people saying,
"My son has cancer," you know.
"Can you bring some players out?
Can we...? Will you visit?"
You know, "My son just died" or "My daughter just died."
"Can we bury him in a Luka Doncic jersey?"
You know, there-there's no other industry.
You know, and when you win...
When Google has a great quarter, nobody in their city--
-you know, Mount wherever it is-- celebrates. -Right.
When your team wins a championship,
the whole city goes nuts.
-You feel it. -The whole city's on fire, right?
It's just such a different industry,
and with that comes a responsibility.
You have to have-- you have to, you know, lead.
You have to be able to set examples
for diversity and inclusion
and show people that, you know, this is the real world,
and we can change and we can be part of it and make it better,
and, you know, I think that's the responsibility
that comes with owning a sports team.
It's probably why you've been so successful, it really is.
-(applause) -You're also...
You know, you're also behind-- I-I remember reading this and...
you know, we live in a world where billionaires tweet
all kinds of crazy things all the time.
-I won't mention names, but... -(laughs)
...billionaires will tweet whatever
and then they'll say, "Oh, I will change the world,
I'll do this, or..."
I remember seeing a tweet of yours
where you were basically talking
about upending the drug industry...
-Yep. -and, uh, lowering prescription drug prices,
and I was like, "Ah, here we go again.
Hopes up, and nothing's going to happen."
-But you actually did it. -We're doing it, we're the real deal.
Yeah, we started a company called CostPlusDrugs.com,
and if you take any medication at all,
just go there, put in the name of it,
and what we do that's different, every other drug manufacturer...
-I mean, no one trusts the drug industry at all, right? -Right.
And so, what we said was, you know,
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant,"
so if you go and you put in the drug and if we carry it,
um, it'll show you not only what we sell it for.
-It'll show you our cost and... -Like, actual cost?
Our actual cost-- what we really pay for it.
We mark it up 15%, that's it.
We have a three-dollar pharmacy fee
and five dollars for shipping, that's it.
And so, you know exactly what we paid
and so, you can trust it.
And this is the first time in the pharmacy industry where,
when you're buying a medication,
you can trust that you're paying a fair price.
-So you're making money? -Not yet. (laughs)
Not yet, but we will. We will eventually.
Okay, but you think the business will make money?
Yeah, we'll make money, but...
-So then, help me understand this then... -Uh-huh.
...as somebody who isn't a billionaire.
How is it that you've decided to get into a business
where you won't make money now,
-you will make money in the future... -Mm-hmm.
...and you're still able to provide people with the drugs
and it seems like it's a win-win for everyone?
Then why don't other drug companies just do this? Why...?
Because what has happened is all...
When someone like me has started, or anybody has started
a company like this, and they cut the cost of medications,
what happens is, someone buys them, right?
One of the big companies buys them out and puts them away.
-Buys the company. Got it. -Buys that company
so that takes them off the market.
I can't be bought, right? I don't need... You can't...
I don't... My next dollar is not going to change my life.
But if I get a chance
to (bleep) up the pharmaceutical industry...
-(applause and cheering) -You are competitive.
Yeah, I mean, the drugs, like...
I just had a friend, literally two days ago, a guy
that I knew in college, Landon Turner.
He was taking this drug dera-cot?
-I don't even know how it's pronounced. -Mm-hmm.
He's like, "Mark, it costs me $3,000 a month.
I can't afford it? Can you help?"
And it was literally... It's a generic.
So I had our guys go into it.
Not five minutes ago while I was waiting in the green room,
he came back. Landon was paying $3,000 a month.
It's now gonna cost him $63 a month.
-(gasping, applause, cheering) -Wait. Wait. I was wrong.
-Wait, wait. -Wait. No. I was wrong.
-$63 for three months. -(gasping)
-Three months. -(applause)
-So, okay. -That's how crazy this industry is.
Yeah, but I... So, I get that you can't be bought,
but surely, people are not happy with what you're doing.
Like, it doesn't seem like you are good for business.
Well, it's weird. No, it's weird. So...
'Cause people like Martin Shkreli-- sorry to cut you off--
but people like Martin Shkreli became famous for coming in,
-buying a drug that people need to survive... -Yeah.
and then hiking it up by I don't know how many...
thousand percent, or whatever it was.
But it feels like
-you're gonna make a lot of enemies doing this. -Yeah.
And, as you say, you're competitive,
so you don't really care.
But is there no way they can undercut you?
-Is there no way this could...? -Yeah, there's ways.
I mean, there's ways, right, but they're...
It ain't going to happen, right? So, what...
The way it works now-- there's three big companies
that are insurance companies that own these things
called pharmacy benefit managers who are responsible
-for really distorting the prices. -Okay.
And then they also own the big retail pharmacies.
-All the big names you've heard of. -Uh-huh.
And so, they're able to control all the pricing elements.
We work outside of that. So right now,
we're mail order so if you go to costplusdrugs.com,
like, Landon will be able to buy his drug
for all that less money,
and then we'll ship it to him, we'll mail it to him.
Soon, we'll be able to do it at local independent pharmacies,
but because we work outside of that system,
they can't stop us.
And the cooler part about it is, we all look at manufacturers
of insulin and other drugs and say,
"They're the cause of the problem."
They're really not. It's these big three companies
that are distorting their prices,
and the manufacturers don't have any other way to sell it.
So now, we can sell it for them. And so, you know,
we're not there on insulin yet, but we're working on it.
We're not there on some of the big brand names,
-but we're close. -Mm-hmm.
And so, you know, we, literally, literally, Trevor...
I mean, five years from now, we can look back and say,
-"You (bleep) them up." -(applause and cheering)
And that would be like a dream of...
That's my goal.
You know, you-you--
I think-I think one of the reasons you're so popular
and interesting is because you have a different view
on how to be successful and what success means, you know?
Um, those who are familiar with your stories will know that
when you-when you sold your first company, you made a lot
of money, but you also made many of your employees millionaires.
-Yeah. -And they weren't, like, stockhold-- they didn't
have options that-- You just said, "All right, everybody,
I made money, we all make money."
And then you did it again with your next company.
That was, like, a big sale, and did you it again,
and you have this attitude that seems counter
to what many Americans think these days where they say,
-"If I get rich, I get rich, screw all of you." -No.
And everyone who's been in your path--
everyone who's gone along with you-- can go,
"Oh yeah, I worked with Mark Cuban, and you can see
that we made money." In this instance,
let's say you are successful.
This company could go on to become, you know, very rich,
-it could-it could make a lot of money. -Mm-hmm.
How do we know-- and-and I'm assuming
you're that kind of person, but how do we know that then,
at some point, you won't raise those drug prices
when everyone is on Cost Plus?
Like, can you make a promise the people? Can you say,
-"This is what we're--" -I, Mark Cuban... (laughs)
...promise not-- Seriously, I-- That's the whole goal,
that's the mission. I'm not--
-Because I get asked that all the time. -Yeah.
"He's just, you know, 'low prices now, jack 'em up later.'"
Uh, if anything, we've been lowering prices.
If you follow us at Cost Plus Drugs on Twitter,
I take pride in every couple of weeks,
we're cutting prices, we're not-we're not increasing prices.
I mean, in this day and age--
and you talk about this all the time--
it's just insane that somebody has to choose
-between rent, food and medication. -Right.
And, you know, people think capitalism is just about
"how much money can I make?" It's not.
Capitalism is me being able to start a business
and choose the outcomes that I want.
No one else can tell me what my mission is,
no one else can tell me what my goal is,
no one else can tell me what's important to me.
I get to make that choice. For some people--
look, if I'm 25 years old,
it's making as much money as I can, right?
But now, like I've been saying,
if you get a chance to turn around an industry
where people now don't have to make those choices--
that's the best reward of all time.
-I wish you the best. -I'll take it.
-I'm gonna hold you to your word. -Oh, it's a deal.
-I know where to find you. -Right, I'm easy to find.
I know exactly where are you in Dallas.
Mark Cuban, everybody. We're gonna take a quick break,
but we'll be right back after this.
Thank you again, for real.
(cheering, applause)
(cheering)
Well, that's our show for tonight,
but before we go, before we go,
Hurricane Ian, as we spoke about,
is one of the most powerful storms
to hit the United States in decades.
Right now the Florida Disaster relief fund has been activated
for response and recovery.
So if you can help them, then please donate
at the link below to support these efforts.
Until next time, stay safe out there.
And remember, a real happy meal
is any meal where you don't pay.
Now here it is, Your Moment of Zen.
♪ ♪
The city of Sabadell has unveiled a terrifying mascot
to promote its buses, named Bussi.
Look at him go! Look at those cold, dead eyes.
Bussi can dance! Oh, so much dancing.
Don't the kids love him? This kid loves Bussi.
(laughing): Bussi can do it all.
PEOPLE: Yay!