On November 1, Mark Cuban answered an October 29 post asking how someone working at McDonald’s could cover rent and other living expenses. “Multiple roommates. Ramen noodles. Near public transportation. Respect to the people who do whatever it takes,” he wrote.
The exchange followed his October 26 advice to new graduates, “Just get a job,” and his argument that moving up at a fast-food workplace could demonstrate their ability to future employers. When a commenter questioned how founding a company answered the question about covering rent, Cuban said he was describing where to start a career. “The answer is the same now vs then,” he wrote.
Cuban described working as a bartender and bar-back for $2.15 an hour plus shared tips, having no benefits at any job and sharing a 3-bedroom apartment with 5 roommates. He said watching his bosses taught him what was right and wrong about running a business. He recalled starting his own with no cash after being fired, with bill collectors pursuing him until he found his first customer.
When a commenter challenged whether sharing an apartment was still affordable, Cuban said the same layout at his old Village apartment complex costs $2,388, about what he’d paid when adjusted to 2026 dollars. In another reply, he wrote, “You are going to need to have roommates or live with family,” and said people would need to live like students, eat cheaply and skip streaming subscriptions. He presented low-paid work as a way to keep learning while earning.
Asked whether hospitality work prepares people for obstacles in other industries, he wrote, “Working hard is a skill.” He said bartending and bar-backing could teach people about themselves and their ability to put in demanding hours. His original post also acknowledged the difficulty: “But I recognize it’s so much harder today.”