6 game-changing investments that turned Shaquille O’Neal into one of the richest NBA icons: Papa John's, Big Chicken, Sacramento Kings, and more

After retiring from basketball in 2011, Shaquille O’Neal, also popularly known as Shaq, who is the former NBA star turned sports analyst, built a massive wealth in various sectors such as fast food chains, real estate, etc. Instead of staying in one lane, Shaquille O’Neal, aka “Shaq”, broadened his business ideas, which have led to his immense financial growth, leading him to become one of the NBA’s wealthiest individuals.


Shaquille O'Neal has a current net worth of $500 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Shaquille O’Neal is a basketball legend, but he gained popularity not just for his on-court moments, but also off of it. Shaq appeared in popular ads for different companies. It is very well-known that Shaq has a very fun personality that makes him friendly around people, and this is why many popular brands work with him. From fast food chains to the world’s top tech companies, Shaq has worked with tons of brands promoting their products, which has led to the massive financial empire that he has today.


Big Chicken:



Shaquille O'Neal once owned 10% of the 155 Five Guys, a burger chain, before selling the stake in 2016. Shaq then went over to focus on expanding his business ideas, and one such idea was the concept of fried chicken, the Big Chicken, which he launched in 2018. Thereafter, to promote his business to the mass population, Shaq launched the “Big Chicken Shaq”, a reality show, and eventually, the Big Chicken has grown to become one of the fastest-growing fast-food chains in the United States. After its massive success, Shaq began expanding it outside of America. In 2024, Shaq opened Big Chicken chains in Manchester, England. He named the items in the menu after some important people in his life, such as Charles Barkley, the former NBA legend.


Shaq-a-Roni pizza:




Shaquille O'Neal also bought a few stakes in Papa John's in 2019 and invested in nine stores in Atlanta, Georgia. A year later, he introduced the Shaq-a-Roni pizza in collaboration with Papa John's. Shaq-a-Roni pizza is a large family-sized cheesy pizza, and with each sale of that large cheesy pizza, it contributes around one dollar to the Papa John’s Foundation, helping young boys and girls get proper education and improving easier access to food.


Reebok:




Shaquille O'Neal entered into a partnership with Reebok in 1992, just as he was drafted into the big league by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 draft. He then launched his sneaker, which is now his classic "Shaq Attaq." And almost 30 years later, he came back to the same brand in even a bigger way. In 2021, Shaq helped finalize a deal worth $2.4 billion to buy Reebok from Adidas.


Sacramento Kings:





In 2013, Shaquille O'Neal bought a stake in the Sacramento Kings, the team with which he had a rivalry during his time with the Lakers. He joked about ironically calling them the "Shaqramento Kings", before selling his stakes in 2022, after he joined WynnBET, as the NBA doesn’t allow players or even coaches to partner directly with gambling companies.

Google & Apple:



Shaquille O'Neal invested in Google for $0.25 million in 1999. He was introduced to this idea of investing in Google by a tech investor whom he once met in Los Angeles. At the time, Google was valued at around $100 million, however, that early investment later grew into one of its most successful financial moves. And since then, he has also invested in Apple, only expanding his wealth and affluence.


Pepsi:




Shaquille O’Neal endorsed and partnered with Pepsi in the 1990s, promoting their brand by appearing in advertisements for them. Back in 2023, Shaq appeared in the "I Wish" campaign in order to promote Mini Cans for Pepsi, which they had launched back then.



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