Shaquille O’Neal aka Shaq is a former professional NBA player, a successful entrepreneur, and a businessman. He is considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. In his 19-year basketball career, he has played for 6 teams.
Due to Shaq’s luxurious lifestyle and habit of spending, it has become a burning question on the internet that “Is Shaq a Billionaire?”
Well, although Shaquille O’Neal is one of the richest athletes in the world, he is not a billionaire yet. As of today, he is still a millionaire. Following the growth in his net worth in recent years, Shaq is expected to be a billionaire in a couple of years.
What is Shaq’s net worth?
Shaq has an estimated net worth of $400 million so far, as of writing. Shaq was one of the highest-paid athletes of all time. His net worth is greatly contributed by the teams he played for. He is also a successful businessman and an investor.
According to Forbes, Shaq has earned $700 million in his career. Well, let’s dig into his sources of income…
How much did he make in his NBA career?
Shaq has played at the center position where tall and strong persons are required which he fulfilled. As one of the great players of NBA history, he received a massive salary. According to Forbes, Shaq is the 10th highest-paid athlete of all time.
Shaq started his NBA career in 1992 at the Orlando Magic with a yearly salary of $3 million. After four years he joined the Los Angeles Leakers as a free agent. He played for Leakers for 9 years and received an average yearly salary of $18.4 million. In 2005, he signed a 5-year contract with Miami Heat worth $100 million.
In 2011, Shaq officially announced his retirement from basketball. In his basketball career of 19 years, he has received a total salary of $292 million.
Shaq’s business venture
Shaq is a successful entrepreneur and an active businessman. Most athletes go through a financial crisis after retirement while he makes their fortune bigger. He has made investments in numerous companies and has created a business empire.
Shaq is one of the early investors of google although the actual number is unknown. He has also made investments in numerous reputed companies like
- Apple
- Uber
- Lyft
- Ring
- PepsiCo
- General Electric
As a former NBA player, Shaq is interested in NBA teams and owns a minor share of the Sacramento Kings. He is also the general manager of Kings Guard Gaming.
Shaq owned 10% of the 155 Five Guys restaurants franchise although he has sold his share. Later he invested in a fast-food chain. He bought Auntie Anne’s and Krispy Kreme franchises in Atlanta. He also owns a restaurant in Las Vegas. He also invested in pizza chain Papa John and got himself into the board of directors.
Shaq has spread his business in every direction. He also owns 40 fitness gyms and 150 car washing stores. He has launched a sneaker brand so that athletes can get shoes at a very reasonable price.
Related Read: Are Shaq and LeBron Friends?
Entertainment Industry
Shaq appears as a sports analyst on the TV show “Inside the NBA” which is a post-game analysis shows. He also hosted his reality shows Shaq’s Big Challenge, Shaq Vs, and a podcast show The Big Podcast with Shaq.
Shaq has a fine interest in music too. He is a music producer and has released 4 rap albums. He also enjoys DJing. Shaq has made his acting career debut and appeared in two films Blue Chips and Kazaam.
Endorsements
Shaq has made a pretty good fortune from endorsements as he has appeared in numerous commercials. He has done commercials for a lot of brands like Pepsi, Bonanza, Woody Woodpecker, Reebok, Nestlé Crunch, Gold Bond products; Buick, The General insurance, Hulu, Epson, IcyHot.
Shaq is the brand ambassador of Papa John’s pizza. He has signed a 3-year contract worth $8.25 million with Papa John’s for endorsement.
Shaq has earned a shocking amount of $200 million from endorsement in his career.
Sources:
- https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45fgmmj/10-shaquille-oneal/?sh=69d927f77c28
- https://money.com/shaq-business-empire/
- https://frontofficesports.com/shaq-alkaline-water-investment-portfolio/#:~:text=O’Neal%20made%20an%20early,in%20a%20%243%20billion%20merger.
- https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/shaquille-oneal-2666/cash-earnings/