Gov. Josh Shapiro named the billionaire as one of several private donors who gave money to support needy Pennsylvanians while SNAP funds are frozen.

YORK, Pa. — Billionaire and NBA owner Mark Cuban, who is also known for his role on reality TV show “Shark Tank,” donated to a fund that will help backstop food assistance in Pennsylvania as the status of the next round of SNAP payments remains in limbo, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Friday.

Cuban’s donation comes as SNAP benefits are set to dry up on Saturday as a result of the federal government shutdown. Two judges ruled Friday that emergency funds must be released at the federal level to fund the food assistance payments, but in the meantime, it’s not clear when beneficiaries might get paid.

Shapiro said that at a minimum, it would take 7-10 business days for the funds to reach the 2 million Pennsylvanians who rely on the program because of the logistics involved. 

Meanwhile, Shapiro allocated $5 million in state funds, which would go to state food banks in order to meet the increased demand for food. On top of that, private donors contributed $1 million that would also be distributed to the food banks. 

Shapiro said Cuban, along with tech entrepreneur Thomas Tull, former Pennsylvania lawmaker Connie Williams and Philadelphia 76ers part-owner David Adelman and his wife, film producer Hallee Adelman donated to the fund. 

“Each of these individuals have stepped up in the initial hours of our campaign to help feed Pennsylvanians on top of the private or public dollars that we are releasing,” Shapiro said of the donors. 

Mark Cuban grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, and attended the University of Pittsburg for one year before transferring to Indiana University. He has previously supported Democratic causes and spoke in support of Kamala Harris during the 2024 election