Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and actor Kevin Hart have long been good friends, and the latter believes the former deserves more respect than he gets. Hart appeared on the latest episode of the Underground Lounge podcast, where he spoke about O’Neal’s successes off the court.
“People don’t put enough respect on Shaq’s name,” Hart said. “… He’s such a big brand that it’s ridiculous. From Shaq’s shoes that were in Walmart… millions of Shaq shoes are sold… You look at these candies that Shaq has, Shaq-A-Licious, and the milkshake. Shaq is doing a $100 million, $200 million a year, and found f***ing revenue attached to candy.
“His partnerships, when you go look at all the brands that he’s attached to, you go look at all the things that Shaq owns, the pieces of equity that he has, and the things that his face is attached to, Shaq is one of the smartest business minds that we have today,” Hart continued. “And Black men and entertainers that have done it right.
“Shaq is a trailblazer and a f***ing example of how to better position yourself when you have a name, image, and likeness that gets you in big rooms,” Hart added. “Shaq is the reason why I said, ‘Well, man, why the f*** would I ignore that when Shaq is doing that?'”
O’Neal’s incredible 19-year NBA career saw him earn $286 million in salaries, according to Spotrac. We have heard of tales of athletes squandering their wealth post-retirement, but he has built on it spectacularly well.
O’Neal has put together a unique and diverse business empire. He has invested in spheres such as footwear, food, real estate, esports, recovery, and brand management.
Hart brought up Walmart there, and that partnership began all the way back in 1998. After an angry woman criticized O’Neal for having overpriced shoes, he walked away from a $40 million deal with Reebok. He then teamed up with Walmart and launched his own affordable footwear brand, Shaq. O’Neal revealed earlier this year that 600 million pairs of Shaq shoes had been sold.
Hart also mentioned the Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies there. O’Neal launched them in partnership with The Hershey Company in September 2024. In 2025, Hershey’s announced it was their #1 sweets launch of the year, with over 11 million units sold. It sure looks like whatever this man touches turns to gold.
O’Neal’s first financial dream was to make $8 million for 10 years. He’s making so much more now. According to Celebrity Net Worth, O’Neal has a net worth of $500 million today. With the way the 54-year-old is going, you’d imagine he will become a billionaire at some point.
