Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most iconic athletes to ever play any sport – due to his incredible size, skill, and larger-than-life personality.
But while the NBA Hall of Famer comes off as a clown and clown on TV, he actually has an incredible business mind.
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His smart investments and brand aggrandizement to attract numerous endorsement deals allowed Diesel to amass a personal fortune and business portfolio worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Here, SunSport highlights how Shaq – who made $300 million during his playing career – continues to grow his wealth long after he retires from the game.
Technical investor
Shaq was an early investor in companies like Google, AI company ChatGPT, taxi company Lyft, and Ring Doorbells.
He was introduced to Silicon Valley “super angel” Ron Conway in 1999, and the billionaire venture capitalist still advises him on investments to this day.
“If someone like Ron says, 'I like that,' I check it out. If he says, 'I don't like that,' I stay away from him,” Shaq told Forbes.
“It's good to have a respectable team that you know is smarter than you.”
concessionaire
Shaq has owned hundreds of different restaurant chains over the years, including Papa John's, Five Guys, Krispy Kreme, and launched his own restaurant – Big Chicken – in 2023.
The Louisiana-style restaurant has 18 locations, including Las Vegas and across Tennessee.
Shaq also owns about 150 car washes and a number of gyms.
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Real estate
It was revealed earlier this year that Shaq owns at least nine large properties with huge pockets of land across the United States.
He owns four separate properties in McDonough, Georgia, which may indicate a plan to combine them into one large property.
Other properties include a 6,400-square-foot home in Sugar Land, Texas, a 4,800-square-foot home in Las Vegas, and a five-bedroom home in Dallas.
Shaq also sold his Florida mansion for about $16.5 million in 2021.
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Media
Shaq remains one of the most popular speakers on television, with TNT Sport's Inside the NBA winning more than 20 Emmy Awards over the years.
However, this deal is worth $10 million per season, but expires in 2025, with Shaq said to be “frustrated” by talks about a new deal, especially with the show moving from TNT to ESPN.
In addition to this role, Shaq has several other media ventures, including The Big Podcast and the production company Jersey Legends Productions.
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DJ Diesel
Although his rap career is long overdue, Shaq still regularly appears in front of large crowds as a DJ.
In 2023, DJ Diesel performed in front of over 100,000 people at Lollapalooza.
He also runs festivals and Ludacris is headlining his own festival – Shaq's Fun House – in New Orleans in February 2025.
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Endorsement deals
Well, where do we start with this…
As Charles Barkley once said: “Shaq has no shame. Zero. There's no doubt in my mind that he would do tampons any day.”
“It's just a matter of time.”
Shaq has endorsed it all and appeared in commercials for dozens and dozens of different brands – from food and restaurants to cereal boxes, entertainment and sports brands, and everything in between.
His most famous deals include Icy Hot – which ran for more than two decades – print cartridges, Radio Shack, and Pepsi.
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Reebok
This brings us to his most famous endorsement – with sportswear brand Reebok, which famously gave him a signature shoe when he was one of the faces of the league.
Shaq first struck a deal with Reebok in 1992, and shoes like the Shaq Attaq and Shaqnosis remain some of the most popular shoes for kicks fans to this day.
However, Shaq parted ways with the company in 1998 after a mother called him and said his shoes were too expensive.
Leaving $40 million on the table, Shaq then started his own affordable “Dunk Man” brand, which is sold at Walmart for much less than competing brands.
“That day, I cut ties with Reebok, and I said keep the money…that's not right,” he revealed in 2021. “I'll still wear the shoes I wear during the season, but I'll look to make my own shoes.” something.
“So, I started the Shaq brand. I went to my favorite store, Walmart, and we made a deal.”
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He added: “I was in all the stores and the price of shoes was between $19 and $29, and since then we have sold more than 400 million pairs.
“It's not that kids don't want to wear $20 shoes. They don't want to wear shoes that look like they cost $20.”
Shaq has since returned to Reebok as president of basketball as the company launched its first shoe in over a decade, and Angel Reyes was the new face of the company.
charity
In addition to building a significant net worth and an extensive business empire, Shaq is also one of the most charitable athletes in the world.
This has been shown in his shoe deal, but Shaq is also the president of the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation, which helps underprivileged children reach their full potential.
This includes the annual Shaq Close program, which distributes thousands of toys at Christmas, and the Shaq to School program, which provides basic school supplies to children.
There are also numerous stories of him leaving huge tips at restaurants and buying things for strangers while out shopping – including an engagement ring.
