Mark Cuban Shares What He'll Miss Most About “Shark Tank” Ahead of His Exit — and It Isn't the Deals! (Exclusive)

The Shark, who first joined the show as a guest investor in season 2 and became a full-time addition in season 3, will kick off his final season on the show when it premieres Friday, Oct. 18

As Mark Cuban bids Shark Tank farewell, he's looking back on the things he'll miss the most.

While exclusively speaking to PEOPLE about the upcoming 16th season of the business show, Cuban, 66, opened up about the emotions he was feeling as he headed into filming his final day.

"[It's] going to be more about the crew and the staff because most of them have been here for 15 years and it's family," he explained. "We all look forward to getting together twice a year for a long time and seeing each other for 12 hours a day."

Related: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Gets Emotional Recalling How Mark Cuban 'Saved My A--' (Exclusive)

Sharing how leaving behind the cast and crew will be the "hardest part," the billionaire businessman added, "I won't miss the deals."

"The deals are always out there, but I'll miss the people and I'll miss having an impact just from the show itself because we send a message every day that the American dream is alive and well," he continued, noting how that message was the thing he was "most proud of."

In November 2023, Cuban revealed that he would not be returning to the ABC series after season 16 during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast.

"This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year so I got one more year to go," he explained, telling hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson he feels “it’s time” to leave the series after first appearing as a guest in season 2 and joining full-time in season 3.

Related: 18 Shark Tank Rules You Didn’t Know Entrepreneurs Have to Follow (Exclusive)

During his conversation with PEOPLE, Cuban said he was walking away from the show to focus on his family.

"My kids are teenagers and I want to spend more time with them," he said, noting how he was most looking forward to "vacations" with his children after his departure.

"We always shoot in June and September, and in June, right when they're finishing school, I have to come here," he explained. "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."

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Shark Tank season 16 premieres Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Read the original article on People.