Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban is making waves with his unexpected praise for President Donald Trump’s recent trade deal, which imposes a 15% revenue-sharing agreement on chip sales to China by tech giants Nvidia and AMD. In a series of posts on X on August 11, 2025, Cuban called out prominent Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, urging them to celebrate what he describes as a “progressive” tax move that Democrats have long dreamed of but never achieved.
“Hey @AOC, @BernieSanders, @SenSchumer, @SenWarren, every Dem should be thanking @potus for doing what the Dems have dreamed of doing but have NEVER been able to do, creating a sales tax on 2 of the biggest semi companies in the country!” Cuban wrote on X. He called the deal a “Commission for America” and a “brilliant move” that could pave the way for similar taxes on other industries’ export licenses.
The Deal: A New Kind of Tax
The agreement, confirmed by Trump in a press conference on August 11, 2025, requires Nvidia and AMD to share 15% of their revenue from chip sales to China with the U.S. government in exchange for export licenses. This follows the Trump administration’s April 2025 decision to halt sales of advanced chips to China over national security concerns. In July, however, the administration allowed Nvidia to resume sales of its H20 chip and AMD to sell its MI308 chip, both designed for artificial intelligence development but less advanced than other offerings.
Cuban, who campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and has often criticized Trump’s policies, called this a “billionaire’s tax” disguised as a royalty. “That is the ULTIMATE wealth tax,” he posted on X, noting that it effectively dilutes the equity of every shareholder in these companies, regardless of their wealth. He argued that Trump’s understanding of business leverage allowed him to secure revenue in a way Democrats have struggled to do through traditional income or wealth taxes.
A Progressive Dream or a Political Jab?
Cuban’s comments are laced with irony, as he suggested that Trump’s policy is more progressive than anything proposed by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. “POTUS is more progressive when it comes to taxation than anyone in the progressive wing of the Dems has ever been,” he wrote. He criticized Democrats for focusing too narrowly on income and wealth taxes without understanding how to use business incentives to generate revenue. “If you want to generate revenue from the richest of us, give them incentives to give you money and do the right thing,” Cuban advised.
The deal is expected to generate billions in federal revenue, though Cuban acknowledged it won’t fully address the growing federal deficit. Still, he gave Trump credit for knowing how CEOs think and using that insight to secure funds for the government. “Will this make up for the explosion of the deficits we face? Not as it stands now. Not close. But give him credit,” he said.
Mixed Feelings and Political Fatigue
Despite his praise for the deal, Cuban made it clear he doesn’t support Trump broadly. “I disagree on most of the non-business things he does,” he posted, and in a separate X post, he expressed frustration with politics altogether: “I’m on the side of the American people. I’m sick of f***ing politics.” His comments reflect a desire to focus on practical outcomes over partisan loyalty.
What’s Next?
The chip deal could set a precedent for taxing other industries’ exports, a move Cuban described as opening “the door for Sales Tax for export licenses on EVERYTHING!” For now, Nvidia and AMD are moving forward with their China sales under the new terms, with Nvidia previously estimating that export restrictions could have cost them $5.5 billion. Whether Democrats will heed Cuban’s call to thank Trump remains to be seen, but the deal has sparked a conversation about innovative ways to tax wealth and corporate revenue.
As Cuban put it, “BOOM!”—this deal might just be a game-changer, even if it comes from an unexpected source.
