- Mark Cuban said work-life balance isn't possible for those who want to win in their field.
- The billionaire said there's always someone trying 'to kick your ass' in a recent video interview.
- Cuban said he didn't take a vacation for 7 years.
Mark Cuban says work-life balance is great — if you're OK with not being the best.
The billionaire and entrepreneur shut down the idea of a work-life balance for the most successful people on an episode of "The Playbook," a video series from Sports Illustrated and Entrepreneur.
"There is no balance," Cuban told Micah Parsons, a 26-year-old linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. "People are like, 'I need a work-life balance.' If you want to work 9-to-5, you can have work-life balance. If you want to crush the game, whatever game you're in, there's somebody working 24 hours a day to kick your ass."
Parsons told Cuban he wanted to work "non-stop," even at a young age. To Cuban, that didn't seem like an issue.
"That's not a sacrifice. That's doing you," Cuban said on the episode, which aired June 3. "Not doing it would be a sacrifice."
The Shark Tank star said he didn't take a vacation for seven years after starting his first business in his mid-20s. All he did was "learn, learn, learn."
Cuban is now worth $5.7 billion, according to Forbes, but he started his career learning how to code in a run-down apartment.
Many Gen Zers today prioritize work-life balance and job flexibility, research indicates, even though the job market is increasingly tough for younger people. Some workers agree with Cuban's statements, but others have told Business Insider that his approach can lead to burnout and stress.
