NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal has an estimated net worth of $600 million, making him one of the richest retired players in basketball history.
In his 19-year-old NBA career, he accrued wealth through contracts totaling $300 million. Now Shaq earns more than he did in his playing years. In 2021, it was reported that he makes $20-$25 million per year from endorsement deals with companies such as Icy Hot, Gold Bond, Buick, Zales, and others.
Also, he became the joint owner of 155 Five Guys Burgers restaurants, 17 Auntie Annie’s Pretzels restaurants, 150 car washes, 40 24-hour fitness centers, a shopping center, a movie theater, and several Las Vegas nightclubs.
Shaq’s success story in the NBA and building a massive net worth tells a story of resilience. This is because he did not receive any handouts growing up. Coming from humble beginnings, he worked exceptionally hard to build the empire.
In a recent interview, the NBA legend disclosed that he lost a $20 million deal over a controversial conspiracy theory about the Earth. He told Complex’s “GOAT Talk” alongside his son Myles that he didn’t get the $20 million deal because he said the Earth was flat. He said that he got over 500,000 hate emails due to the sensitive nature of his claim.
“I said the earth was flat one time, and I lost a f-king big deal on that ’cause the haters; it was like 500,000 hate mail,” he noted on the podcast. “They said, ‘Man, we can’t.’ Big deal, like $20 million. I’m not going to elaborate on it, but when I was young, I studied the JFK assassination. I went to the Book Depository in Dallas.
“I’ve studied it. I’m not going to give you my theory on what I think happened because it’s a real serious topic, but the fact that there’s more than 50 different theories just makes it an even bigger conspiracy theory.”
Often called “Shaq’ or “The Big Aristotle,” the NBA legend was only an infant when his father was jailed on drug charges in Kentucky. When his father was eventually released from prison, he left his son’s life. And so he grew up with his mother and stepfather, Phillip Harrison.
In high school, he helped his school win the state championship. He subsequently went to LSU to study business and play basketball under head coach Dale Brown.
Shaq was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC player of the year, and became the NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991. Also, he was named the college player of the year by the AP and UPI in 1991.
By 1992, Shaq had emerged as the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1992 NBA draft class. He became the first pick by the Orlando Magic and would spend 19 years in the NBA. He was not just an ordinary NBA player; he became one of the best centers in the league.
In the year 1992-93, Shaq won Rookie of the Year and led the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals. He moved to the LA Lakers as a free agent. At Los Angeles Lakers, he helped the team win three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. He won his fourth NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006 and also played for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.
