Kara Swisher says Mark Cuban is one of the 'good guy' billionaires, even though he 'started off as a massive d--------'

Her immediate reaction was to reject the premise of the question: “None of them are good guys.”

She walked this back, listing a few billionaires she respects: Mark Cuban, Sir Michael Moritz, MacKenzie Scott, Laurene Powell Jobs and Melinda French Gates.

Swisher offered explanations for why she likes these few billionaires, which is valuable if you hope to understand the other side of the equation: the growing disdain many Americans have for the ultra-wealthy.

Why so many people don’t like billionaires

A 2026 Pew Research study found 18% of Americans consider it immoral to be a billionaire. Swisher’s statements about the handful of billionaires she likes explain why that might be the case.

Swisher says her admiration for Cuban and Moritz is mostly due to their authenticity.

On Cuban, she says, “He started off as a massive d——-- when I met him,” especially after his $5.7 billion sale of Broadcast.com to Yahoo.

But Swisher says he has changed since then. “He’s complex; we don’t always agree, but I like talking to him, and he’s accessible, and he’s remained the same person.”

She likes Moritz for similar reasons: “He’s himself. He doesn’t do anything to suck up to Trump, so he’s a real pleasure and really smart.”

As for Scott, Jobs and French Gates, she has good things to say about their philanthropic ventures.

“I find them astonishing,” says Swisher. “They keep it quiet, they do their s—, and as usual, they’re gonna have much more of an impact to the world than these other ones who have really shamed themselves over and over, including recently at the dinner with President Xi.”

It’s no secret that billionaires live different lives than the rest of us. However, it can be hard to grasp just how much society is structured to make sure that doesn’t change.

In 1989, 22.8% of Americans’ total wealth was held by the top 1% wealthiest households; in 2026, that value has reached 32.5%.

One way billionaires ensure their wealth stays intact is by not paying taxes. They also have unprecedented access to the White House, with many billionaires present at President Trump’s inauguration and a dozen billionaires appointed to roles in his administration.

Critics of billionaires argue they are dangerously out of touch, shielded from the basic realities of existing in society by their vast wealth.

Swisher contends that some of the billionaires she knows aren’t as disconnected from the real world as others, but she also considers them to be an exception to the rule.

How billionaires benefit themselves with philanthropy

Many billionaires give away their money — Swisher also acknowledges this — but how they choose to do so can vary significantly.

In 2010, dozens of the wealthiest people alive promised to donate at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.

The Giving Pledge, for instance, founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffet, is a promise, but it’s not a contract. Notably, it also doesn’t stipulate how people give away their wealth.