Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant players the NBA has seen. Shaq’s rim-breaking slam dunks to his four NBA titles make him an NBA legend.
The thing about Shaq is that he’s more than just a basketball player. The Big Diesel is a DJ, a doctor, and even a police officer. On top of these unique jobs, Shaq also has many businesses that he owns and has invested in.
In today’s article, we’ll take a look at 10 businesses Shaq owns and has invested in. As you’ll see, Shaq has a wide range of businesses in his portfolio.
1. Big Chicken Restaurant
Let’s start off by stating that Shaq loves fast food. As you’ll see, his name is attached to a few restaurants. As for Big Chicken goes, Shaq doesn’t just have his name attached to it; he’s the founder.
Yes, Shaq founded the Big Chicken fast-food restaurant in 2021. There are currently 10 restaurants, but Shaq is looking to expand.
One of the features of eating at Big Chicken is their proportion sizes. The chicken sandwiches are big, like its founder, and they offer a cookie with the circumference of an NBA basketball.
2. Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast-food restaurant that was founded in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell, who named it after their five sons. Their sons decided not to go to college and rather start a business, and the rest is history.
This chance to do something big fits right in with Shaq’s mindset. So, it was a natural partnership.
In 2008, Shaq dived deep into the Five Guys franchise. He has owned and sold 155 Five Guys restaurants.
When Shaq was at his peak of owning 155 restaurants, he owned 10% of all the Five Guys’ restaurants. Talk about a Shaq-sized ownership.
3. Papa John’s Pizza
The Papa John’s pizza franchise saw some controversy when founder, John Schnatter, came under hot water for using a racial slur during a conference call. This led to Schnatter being fired as CEO of Papa John’s.
Immediately after Schnatter’s firing, Shaq, who already owned 9 Papa John’s franchises, was promoted to spokesperson and director of Papa John’s.
As of today, you’ll likely find a Papa John’s commercial featuring Shaq, and it is good to see. Shaq really is putting his size 22 shoes down on the fast food map.
4. Krispy Kreme
In 1937, a donut shop that sold incredible coffee was born. This shop is called Krispy Kreme, and if there’s one thing Shaquille O’Neal loves in the world, it’s a Krispy Kreme donut.
Shaq fell in love with Krispy Kreme donuts when he was in college. This is not surprising, as a Krispy Kreme donut is the perfect breakfast meal for a college student.
This love by Shaq led to him pursuing a chance to own one. He does own one location in Atlanta, Georgia.
5. Authentic Brands Group
In 2015 Shaq became an investor in Authentic Brands Group. Now, the Authentic Brands Group might not sound like anything that exciting, but by becoming an investor, Shaq now finds himself as an owner of some pretty cool stuff.
Thanks to this investment, Shaq now owns part of Elvis Presley’s music catalog, he owns the rights to Marilyn Monroe and even the greatest, Muhammad Ali. To Shaq, this investment was a no-brainer.
“I don’t like to seem like I’m bragging,” Shaq said. “But Imma ask you a question. Who owns Marilyn Monroe? Who owns Elvis Presley? Who owns Forever 21? Who owns JCPenney? Me. So my real businesses, I own 50 brands. When I was retiring, I’m looking around like, how does Michael Jackson and all these guys live forever.
“So one of the chapters in the book, joint-ventureship. I called one of the three companies that help people live forever and they bought my brand for a lot of money. So I took that money and put it back in the company, now I’m the number 2 guy in the company… Now I own all those other brands. So if Shaq goes away, sh*t we still got Elvis.”
Shaq is an intelligent businessman. He doesn’t just invest his money into anything. Shaq studies these business deals; he makes sure every investment he makes sets not only himself but his family up for years to come.
Shaq may have inspired many basketball players throughout the years, but he should inspire any new investor. Study Shaq’s tactics, and maybe you can also become business savvy.
6. 24-Hour Fitness
In his prime, Shaq was the most physically dominant force we’ve ever seen in the NBA. Shaq achieved this by doing intense workouts, something many wished he kept up with every season of his career.
It’s fitting that Shaq would invest in 24-Hour Fitness, a large fitness center that stays open 24 hours a day. Shaq currently owns 40 24-Hour Fitness locations, so if you’ve been at one, chances are it could’ve been owned by The Big Aristotle.
Along with being an investor, Shaq is also a brand ambassador, a member of the board of directors, and a strategic advisor for the company. Shaq has really invested himself in this business.
7. NRG eSports
NRG eSports is an Esports organization that was founded in 2015. They hold tournaments for games like Rocket League, Fortnite Battle Royale, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch.
Esports is a growing business, as more people are getting into not only playing but watching gamers play in big tournaments. Shaq invested in NRG eSports back in 2016.
The Big Aristotle proves he knows more than just basketball. He’s smart enough to realize the power of the Esports movement.
8. Car Washes
What is one thing everyone who owns a car has to eventually do? Wash their car, that’s what. Who wants to wash it by hand? Not many. Most people take their cars to a car wash, as it is easier to do, and you can have a little fun while going through it, especially with your kids in the car.
Once again, Shaq realized the potential in it, and he decided to invest. Today, Shaq owns 150 car washes. The big man has his name on almost anything!
9. Movie Theater
Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to movies. He has starred in movies like Kazaam, Steel, and Blue Chips. So, it’s fitting that Shaq would own a movie theater.
The CityPlex 12 theater in Newark, New Jersey, is co-owned by Shaq and current senator and former mayor of Newark, Cory Booker. Shaq’s theater came under fire from fans recently when they found out it played the same movie that Shaq criticized Kyrie Irving for sharing.
10. Shaq’s Shoe Brand
This is one of the best stories you’ll hear about Shaq. He had a $40 million deal with Reebok for his signature shoe with the brand, and things were looking good.
One day Shaq was leaving the arena in Orlando one day, and a woman came up and criticized him for having his shoes cost too much money. She couldn’t afford Shaq’s shoes for her kids, and this upset her.
So, Shaq did the unthinkable. He told Reebok that he wanted out of the deal, and he proceeded to start his own Shaq shoe brand, which he made in a deal with Walmart.
Shaq shoes went from over $100 with Reebok to $20 with his Shaq brand. In 2016, Shaq has said that his shoe brand had sold over $120 million pairs of his shoes.
Shaquille O’Neal is a true genius investor, as you can tell from these 10 investments by Shaq. The crazy part is this isn’t all. Shaq was an early investor in Google and Apple in 2004.
He also invested in companies like Pepsi, Ring, Vitaminwater, and Lyft. Shaq was also a part owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to January 2022.
Shaq was a major owner of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, as he owned 17 at one time. He recently sold all his Auntie Anne’s as he stated, “Black people don’t like pretzels that much.”
Shaq currently holds a net worth of $400 million, and it’s easy to see why. If Shaq decides to throw his hands into more businesses, then you can expect to see his net worth grow even more.
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