By India McCarty
After 15 seasons, Mark Cuban is officially saying good-bye to SHARK TANK.
“I remember literally thinking, ‘This show is not gonna last. Just go on there, just tear it up…cause trouble,’” Cuban joked in an interview with PEOPLE. “I really didn’t expect there to be a third season, and then, boom. It just blew up.”
The businessman explained that he “brought a little bit of an edge” to the show, saying he was able to “put myself in the shoes” of the people pitching their ideas to the Sharks.
In his final episode, Cuban shouted out his “amazing” fellow Sharks — Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec.
“I’ve learned so much from all of you. We’ve had such an impact,” he continued. “And to SHARK TANK, to the people who supported us, to the people who love us, I love you guys like family. Thank you.”
Cuban concluded, “This show changed me. I think I changed the show. And I think we all together as Sharks changed America.”
Related: Mark Cuban to Leave SHARK TANK After Season 16
While fans are sad to see Cuban go, he’s leaving SHARK TANK for a very good reason: his family.
“We always shoot in June and September, and in June, right when [his kids, Alexis, Alyssa and Jake are] finishing school, I have to come here,” he told PEOPLE. “When they were young it was like, ‘Okay, we’re going to wait for Dad.’ Now that they’re teenagers, they aren’t waiting for Dad at all, and in September they’ve just gotten back to school. I want to be there for that.”
Cuban said shooting SHARK TANK was “easy and fun,” but making the show and working with the companies he chooses to invest in were major time commitments.
“Once a deal closes, I have to do what we can to give them a chance to make their American Dream come true. That’s a huge commitment intellectually, time wise and emotionally,” he explained. “I was ready to commit that time to my family.”
Cuban isn’t slowing down any time soon, though. He just announced plans for a $750 million private equity fund focused on sports franchises, called Harbinger Sports Partners.
“The professional sports sector is maturing into an institutional-quality asset class,” Rashaun Williams, a founding partner of Harbinger and a veteran sports executive, said in a statement. “Harbinger will be structured to operate within league frameworks while offering long-term capital, operational fluency, and a responsible ownership mindset.”
SHARK TANK fans are sad to say good-bye to Cuban, but can’t wait to see what the businessman does next!
Read Next: Mark Cuban Leaves SHARK TANK for Family: ‘I Don’t Want to Miss Anymore’ Time
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