"Middle-class upbringing": When Shark Tank's Mark Cuban recalled childhood struggles

Shark Tank mentor Mark Cuban was interviewed by Andy Serwer - Yahoo Finance's editor-in-chief, on June 1, 2019. The investor opened up about his childhood and parents during the interview.

He also commented on what kind of jobs his parents had and how his father and his uncles were "first-generation Americans." Further in the interview, Shark Tank's Mark recalled the days when he used to sell baseball cards, garbage bags, and more.

Revisiting his childhood days, Mark shared:

"I mean my dad busted his a*s, I mean he worked six...six days a week. Left at 7:00 - 7:30 in the morning, and got back at 6 or 7 o'clock. Lost his eye in an accident during upholstery. He had a staple break when he was putting some covering on a car seat. You know it was...it was a middle-class upbringing. My mom did odd jobs, you know, they just wanted something better."

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Shark Tank's Mark Cuban shares his childhood upbringing, becoming a salesperson, and his "ups and downs" along the way

In his June 2019 interview with Andy Serwer, Mark faced the question regarding his childhood while he grew up in Pittsburgh. Responding to that, Mark recalled how his grandparents "came over from Russia." As a result, his father, his uncles, and his mother were the first generation.

When Mark mentioned being an immigrant, the host asked if "a lot of people" grew up the same way as Mark. However, not many people "ended up" like Mark.

In response, the Shark Tank mentor stated:

"I think, you know, everybody's got something that they're good at, and the hard part is finding it, and I found out early that I was a good salesperson and that I really liked business. Like, I like sports; I mean, I read everything I possibly could and played sports as much as I could. Just wasn't as good as I wanted to be, and business was the same way."

Remembering when he used to buy and sell baseball cards and garbage bags, Mark mentioned that he used to "read everything." It was about "business," and he was the "unusual kid" who would read about Ted Turner instead of going to the movies.

"I think that created a foundation of my parents, you know, my dad used to always say, I don't understand what you're doing, but I'm glad you're doing it, and so I have my ups and downs along the way, of course."

He also recalled that he used to get "really excited" about business and how, over the years, it "paid off" the benefits.

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Fans can stream the latest Shark Tank Season 16 on ABC, with Mark Cuban as one of the lead Sharks on the reality show.