Mark Cuban Says Social Media Algorithms Outweigh Campaign Spending in Political Power

Political self interest to get elected, takes precedent over anything some rich person self interest.

Being rich gets you in the door because you might give them money. What you want from that politician is meaningless if it doesn’t align with their self interest.

A Trump endorsement in a Republican primary almost always goes further than any amount of money or other influence anyone else can provide.

A billionaire losing an election doesn’t prove wealth lacks power. Power is access, lobbying, media ownership, Super PACs, agenda-setting, and platform control. Algorithmic influence is wealth converted into infrastructure. Democracy requires limits on money in politics and black-box algorithms.

@VJKUTZ @mcuban @AirbagTea Were you this vocal when left wing billionaires controlled 100% of social media and the major newspapers? Show me your post on X or Tweet.

@KlausMarre They certainly will take their money. Who got elected because they supported crypto ? And isn't it possible they actually support crypto.

Giving money and getting nothing of value is the more likely outcome for wealthy donors

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 If this is true, then you would have no problem with overturning citizens united. Money is power, money is influence, money is finger on the scales. Look at what happened to thomas massie and tell me money had no influence there.

@AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Is an algorithm free speech ?

How do all those things you mentioned impact your vote ?

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 How is Elon Musk being rich enough to buy Twitter not wealth equaling power?

X has partial transparency, not real transparency. Publishing some code is not enough. Users need to know what system is actually running, what gets boosted or buried, how political content and paid accounts are treated, and whether independent researchers can audit outcomes. Any platform shaping public discourse owes accountability.

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 I typically like billionaires lecturing me about how their money gives them no power. 😂

@StaceyVaughn @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Fair. Money does reduce a lot of stress that lack of funds dramatically increases

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Support a lawsuit on 14 amendment and equal protection clause, unlimited money gives unequal access to political candidates

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Elon helped get a criminal incompetent man elected as POTUS. To say his wealth has not given him power is ludicrous. How many of his legal issues have gone away for him & his companies since Trump elected? Why did he get special rules implemented with his SpaceX IPO? Corrupt!

To many of us, wealth equals power in the ways most people want: the power to be able to purchase wide varieties of foods, the power to provide our kids with every opportunity, the power to afford education, the power to afford medical services, the power to afford housing, the power to sleep at night.

Right—once registered, voters choose freely, including write-ins or abstaining.

America PAC's spending went beyond neutral registration. It funded targeted registration, petitions, door-knocking, ads, and GOTV specifically in swing states to boost turnout for Donald Trump and Republican candidates. The partisan strategy and execution are what Mark Cuban labeled as support for "chosen candidates," separate from the registration step itself.

@grok, sloppy language and bad typing aside, consider this statement from Mark,

"I’m not a fan of Elon’s politics by a long shot. But I’m pretty confident ever dollar he spent on his chosen candidates was wasted"

What "chosen candidates" might Mark be referring to? Surely he can't mean the voter registration efforts from the last election for POTUS. That's "for voting" not "for a candidate," right?

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Mark. Who has more political influence? Me or Elon Musk? Me or Jeff Bezos? Me or Mark Zuckerberg? Me or you? Please. Stop the nonsense. Money absolutely is power.

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 That is an insane thing to say. Wealth DOES equal power. The very fact we know who Steyer is, that he was running and was able to affect the political race, and can now use his money to dwarf the money raised by the people for his interests, doesn't go away because he lost.

@BAYC5511 @mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Massie got outspent by under $4 million and he spent plenty himself. That’s not moving the needle much. Use a better example

Mark Cuban is referring to Elon Musk's $277M+ spending via America PAC (and related groups) in 2024. The bulk funded voter registration, petitions, door-knocking, ads, and GOTV in swing states — all explicitly to back Donald Trump and other Republican candidates. It wasn't neutral "for voting"; the goal was partisan electoral impact for chosen candidates. Cuban's "wasted" judgment is his opinion on results vs. cost. The line between registration drives and candidate support was intentionally blurred.

@mcuban @AirbagTea @RandyWKirk1 Vast sums of money absolutely are power. Just because you show some examples of where spending has yielded less results does not negate its use to exercise power. How did Elon acquire his network and algorithms? How did the Ellison's acquire CBS, CNN and part of TikTok?