Shaquille O’Neal, commonly called Shaq, is one of the greatest players in NBA history. Despite being so successful on the court, he is also one of the richest NBA players ever thanks to the smart investments he made following his basketball success. In this article we will talk about What companies does Shaq own? and many more interesting facts.
Shaquille O’Neal certainly knew how to use the money he earned from his basketball career to create more opportunities and avoid the financial hardships that many retired players face. Now, at 50 years old, Shaq’s net worth is estimated at a whopping $400 million.
Shaq and the NBA
You may know him as one half of the famous dynamic duo with Kobe Bryant, where they teamed up to represent the Los Angeles Lakers and took 3 consecutive NBA championships.
After this, Shaq won his 4th NBA Championship with the Miami Heat. Not to forget being a three-time NBA Finals MVP, 1996 Olympic Gold medalist along with several other individual awards throughout – Shaq’s career is quite difficult for anyone to match. His estimated earnings during his playing career are $292,198,327.
The former NBA big man was known for his physicality and size, standing at 7-foot-1. He played for 19 years (1992-2011) in six teams in the NBA. Despite being retired for over a decade, Shaq is still a beloved and talked about player among many basketball fans today. Shaq is now a sports analyst on the TV show ‘Inside the NBA’ which features highlights, interviews, and game highlights.
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What businesses does Shaq own?
Outside of basketball, Shaq owns over 50 businesses in several different industries. NBC Sports says Shaq also has at least partial ownership in 155 Five Guys Burger restaurants, 17 Auntie Annie’s Pretzels restaurants, 150 car washes, 40 24-hour fitness centers, a mall, a movie theater, and several nightclubs in Las Vegas. And that’s not even all of them.
Here’s a full breakdown:
Five guys
Starting with the one that Shaq owns the most is Five Guys. By owning 155 Five Guys restaurants, Shaq owns more than 10% of Five Guys’ entire franchises, pocketing quite a decent amount.
Car washes
Another business that Shaq owns in numerous locations is car washes, which appears to be one of the first business investments he made before building the business empire he owns today.
Shaq shoes
Perhaps one of Shaq’s most famous involvements is his shoe brand, which famously started as a result of a mother saying how NBA players’ sneakers were all $150 or more. Touched by this, Shaq decided to create affordable shoes while maintaining comfort and style.
Papa John’s
By using Shaq’s voice, name, and face in their advertising, Shaq received $8.5 million from Papa John’s as a brand ambassador. Shaq also joined the company as an investor and board member, investing around $840,000 in 9 different restaurants across Atlanta.
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is Shaq’s favorite, simply because he loves donuts! While he currently only owns one Krispy Kreme outlet with an estimated investment value of nearly $3 million, he has plans to own 100 and further expand into the donut business.
CityPlex12
In 2012, Shaq purchased a movie theater in his hometown of Newark, NJ. After major improvements were made to the building, the business thrived there as well.
deer box
It wouldn’t be right if the former basketball legend didn’t invest in the sports industry! Shaq’s partnership with Reebok goes way back to 1992 when he signed a $15 million deal. It is also where he launched the popular shoe, Reebok Shaq Attaq. Shaq has set his sights on owning Reebok through his partnership with Authentic Brands Groups (ABG).
Buick
After playing a genius in the movie Kazaam, Shaq got some endorsements. One was for Buick in 2012, which turned out to be one of the most memorable and hysterical endorsements Shaq has ever done. The footage of Shaq fitting into a Buick along with some clever lines showed off his lovable personality and provided a lot of entertainment for others.
big chicken
Not only does Shaq invest in various companies, but he also founded a restaurant of his own in 2018 – called Big Chicken. Earlier this year, they announced a major move into the four largest markets in Texas, bringing Big Chicken to San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Dallas.
Google Stocks
This story begins in the late 90s when Shaq babysat a kid who was waiting for his dad to finish a meeting in the lobby at the Four-Season Hotel in LA. The father convinced Shaq to invest in Google, which was in 2004 when it was $75/share. Today, Google stock is worth $1200/share. You could say it was a decent return on investment!
property
Shaq continues to get involved in the more mainstream investments, including Real Estate. Shaq even created The O’Neal Group in 2006, with their first project The Met Miami. He started out buying houses for $10-12,000, fixing them up, then selling them for $25-30,000 before eventually moving on to larger projects.
More businesses involving Shaq
- Shaquille (his restaurant)
- Beachbody
- Elvis Presley (A percentage of royalties)
- Marilyn Monroe (A percentage of royalties)
- Forever 21
- The General
- JC Penney
- NRG eSports
- Mango
- Pepsi
- ring
- Lyft
- Sacramento Kings
- Shaq soda
How did Shaq do it?
Even though Shaquille O’Neal has been retired for over a decade, how does he still earn a very respectable salary every month? First, the popularity of his media personality brought him many opportunities outside the basketball court. He was given several nicknames, including The Big Aristotle, Shaq Fu, and The Big Daddy, which certainly helped him seal some deals that he took full advantage of.
Shaq also made smart decisions in the way he spent the money he earned on the court, and was able to create a ton more wealth off the court besides endorsement deals and in entrepreneurial ventures. Recognizing that his basketball career would not last a lifetime, Shaquille O’Neal was proactive in finding ways to make money outside of sports, building a solid foundation for when he would eventually retire. He would ask himself ‘How do Michael Jackson and all these guys live forever?’
However, Shaq wasn’t always like that. He didn’t know anything about taxes at first, and it wasn’t until his banker warned him about spending the first million dollars he made that he became aware of taking care of his money and learning how to manage it. the best to spend.
Shaquille O’Neal credited Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos with where he learned his investment philosophy, saying that Bezos only invests in businesses that change people’s lives. Once Shaq followed suit, he shared that his net worth quadrupled. Along with his investments, Shaquille O’Neal continues to build his brand by appearing in many commercials as well.
Does Shaq even have time for anything else?
Even though owning brands and showcasing his personality is his main source of income, you’d be surprised to hear how many other things he gets involved in as well.
- Academy: Did you know Shaq also has a Ph.D. in his pocket? Towards the end of his playing career, he worked on an educational doctorate at Barry University on the topic “The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles”.
- Music: Shaq began composing rap in 1993, and since releasing four rap albums, the first (Shaq Diesel) went platinum. Shaquille O’Neal is also an electronic music producer, and touring DJ, and conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra in 2010.
- acting: Shaq has appeared in several films including Blue Chips, Kazaam, and Steel. He has also appeared in various commercials and had his reality shows.
- Mixed martial arts: Shaquille O’Neal trained in boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling.
- law enforcement: Having always been interested in police departments, Shaquille O’Neal became a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Harbor Police and serves an honorary role on the task force.
Is there anything Shaq doesn’t do?
It’s a valid question for sure. Although it may seem like Shaq does anything and everything, and is fearless with his choices, Shaq is still very careful with what he invests in.
For example, he won’t invest in cryptocurrency because he doesn’t understand it, and he rejected a deal with Starbucks because he felt black people couldn’t relate to it. With a humble perspective, Shaq says, “I make investments, not for the monetary reasons, but … if it’s going to change people’s lives – and if I see that people enjoy doing it”. Despite all the money he has, you can tell that Shaquille O’Neal has a kind heart and loves helping those less fortunate.
It’s honestly kind of hard to keep track of what Shaquille O’Neal owns, but hopefully, you were able to get some insight here. What can be agreed upon is how impressive his portfolio is. He makes more now as a retired athlete than he did during his legendary 19-year NBA career. Estimates show that his annual earnings are around $60 million, which will only continue to increase as Shaq continues to make more investments and it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon!
