Shaquille O'Neal's wild life and £370m fortune he won't share with children
Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal has amassed a substantial fortune since beginning his illustrious NBA career over three decades ago. The 53-year-old, who won four NBA championships, was named season MVP in 2000, and earned 15 All-Star selections, has arguably achieved equal success off the court.
The TNT analyst has numerous business ventures, including being appointed Reebok's president of basketball in 2023. His efforts to revive Reebok's reputation in basketball, alongside NBA legend Allen Iverson, are documented in the new Netflix series Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal, released today.
The show follows O'Neal and Iverson, Reebok's vice president of basketball, as they search for the brand's next marquee name. They seemingly land on WNBA rising star Angel Reese, who has described O'Neal as a "father figure." O'Neal's impact at Reebok has already been significant, even before the show's release.
"There's a powerful shift happening at Reebok right now, and Power Moves lets the world experience it with us," Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said. "This isn't just a comeback, it's a cultural movement, fueled by purpose, passion, and the kind of leadership that inspires real change. Jersey Legends saw that spark and knew this was the moment to capture.
"What Shaq, Allen, and our team are building is electric, and this series brings viewers inside the heart of it, as it happens." Here, Mirror Sport takes a closer look at the life of the basketball legend.
Building fortune
O'Neal, often known as 'Shaq', has made his mark not only on the basketball court but also in the financial world. He boasts an estimated net worth of £370million ($450m) that spans NBA salaries, media gigs, sponsorships, and savvy business dealings. He was the NBA's top earner in three separate seasons, with an eye-watering £20.3m top salary from the Miami Heat and total basketball earnings of £215m ($292m).
O'Neal's portfolio isn't limited to shooting hoops; he's netted quite the collection in the business sector, too—buying 155 Five Guys eateries, owning 40 gyms, and sweeping up 150 car washes.
However, despite sitting on a goldmine, which includes his endorsement deals with Papa Johns and Pepsi, Shaq is playing hardball when it comes to inheritance. He does not plan to hand over any cash unless his six offspring show grit and enterprise.
No inheritance
O'Neal opened up about family values on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, admitting his kids are annoyed that he doesn't plan to leave his millions as an inheritance. "My kids are older now. They're kinda upset with me," he confessed. "Not really upset, but they don't understand. I tell them all the time. We ain't rich. I'm rich."
Clarifying his stance on wealth and responsibility, he explained: "You gotta have bachelor's or master's [degrees], and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you're going to have to present it, boom boom boom, bring it to me. I'll let you know, I'm not giving you nothing.
"There's one rule: education. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care about none of that.
"Listen, I got six kids. I would like a doctor, somebody to own a hedge fund, a pharmacist, a lawyer, someone that owns multiple businesses, someone to take over my business. But I tell them I'm not going to hand it to you. You gotta earn."
Rolls-Royce spree
The former basketball superstar once flashed his cash in spectacular style, spending £1m ($1.3m) in a single day after feeling snubbed at a car dealership. O'Neal, who owns an impressive car collection, had an impulsive moment when a salesperson asked if he could afford a Rolls-Royce. This slight provoked him to purchase three vehicles in one go. It was later revealed that he'd had a customised Superman logo added to his Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
"I don't wanna spend $400,000 for a car. So I'm like, 'Hey man how much is this? Nah. How much is this one?'" he recalled on the Revolt podcast, as per the Daily Star. "So finally the old guy says, 'Yo man, you asking about all these cars, can you afford them?'"
"Now I'm p*****. I said, 'What the f*** you just said to me?' So I buy three. That one, that one, and that one, and I want them dropped off. Move the seat back. So I got 3 Rolls-Royces that I never drive. So there goes another million."
Record trip to Walmart
Shaq also boasted about setting a record at Walmart during his appearance on The Late Late Show in 2018. The shopping came shortly after O'Neal joined the Phoenix Suns from the Miami Heat in 2008.
"I have the biggest purchase in Walmart history," he said while sitting next to Victoria Beckham. "$70,000. I get traded from Miami to Phoenix, and I'm the type of guy [that] I have no patience. So when I get to Phoenix, they have an apartment for me. Nothing's in it.
"Two or three in the morning, I gotta go get four or five TVs, I gotta go get printers, I gotta go get laptops. I gotta go get sheets, towels, underwear, t-shirts."
However, he hit a snag when his credit card was declined at the checkout, prompting a call from his bank over fraud concerns: Despite the hiccup, Shaq knew his financial status was solid: "I put it back in, and it said declined again. So now I'm saying, 'Well, I know I'm not broke,'" he quipped.
"So I just said 'alright, I'll be back' and then the American Express security called me [and he said] 'hey man, somebody stole your credit card and they spent $70,000 at Walmart'. "I said 'no that was me', [the security guard replied] 'what the hell are you buying for $70,000?"
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