Shaquille O’Neal has always been much more than a dominant basketball player. Big Diesel has routinely been one of the most marketable, charismatic and sometimes controversial players in NBA history. He is also quite the entrepreneur and advocate of products. However, in this specific post, we are looking at Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth in 2023.
Shaquille O’Neal Net Worth 2023 (Estimated): $400 Million
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Shaquille O’Neal has a net worth of around $400 million. Shaq started building his massive net worth during his playing days in the NBA where he cashed out during his illustrious career.
According to Spothack, Shaq earned an estimated $286 million as an NBA player. He was one of the most prominent veterans in the league as he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.
But it was Shaq’s first deal with the Los Angeles Lakers which was a really great contract at the time. Jerry West made every effort to bring O’Neal to Hollywood, breaking the entire roster and signing Shaquille O’Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal in the summer of 1996.
That kind of money would be considered trivial by today’s standards. But at the time, such guarantees were practically unheard of, especially given the backloaded nature of the deal. He later signed a three-year extension with the Lakers worth over $88 million.
Shaquille O’Neal would eventually sign a new deal with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2005, which would pay him over $100 million over the course of the next five years. This included his forgettable 2009–10 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging only 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds during an injury-riddled campaign.
Shaquille O’Neal is currently No. 9 in salary earnings in NBA history despite retiring a decade ago, while contracts have exploded in recent years.
Then there’s his music.
Shaquille O’Neal’s basketball career was barely getting started when he also started rapping for fun.
Shaq signed a record deal in 1993 and later released his debut studio album, Shaq Diesel. Initially, he had great success. Shaq Diesel actually went platinum and Shaq Fu: Da Return went gold. It seemed that O’Neal really had a budding career in music.
Of course, rap wasn’t O’Neil’s day job at the time. His career as a rapper quickly ended, though his time in music was not over. Shaquille O’Neal, ever the performer and entertainer, has rocked DJ sets across the country, including a performance at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Shaq’s sets hardly sound flashy, but it’s clear that DJing is something he loves as a hobby. It appears that Shaquille O’Neal will continue to explore the music scene for as long as he is still willing and able.
Speaking of performances, who can forget Shaq’s acting career, which includes films like 1996’s Kazaaam and 1997’s Steel. He has several other credits to his name and has also wrestled.
We also cannot forget his business ventures.
Shaq has hardly been shy about his willingness to invest in multiple businesses over the years, especially those in the food industry.
According to Money.com, Shaquille O’Neal once owned 155 Five Guys restaurants, or up to 10 percent of the company’s portfolio. Several years ago, it was announced that O’Neal would join Papa John’s board of directors, with the promise that he would invest in nine stores in the Atlanta area as well as become a key brand ambassador.
Auntie Anne’s and Krispy Kreme Donuts are other food companies that have been beneficiaries of vegetarian investments.
The Big Fella has also invested in gyms and car washes, while previously holding a stake in the Ring Doorbell company prior to Amazon’s $1 billion buyout in 2018. Then of course, there are also many past relationships with Icy Hot and Gold Bond. other companies. It’s hard to miss a Shaq commercial these days.
Needless to say, Shaquille O’Neal has no problem diversifying his profile, as long as the company or business in question matches his personal brand and vibrancy.
Finally, his investments clearly play a role.
Shaquille O’Neal told the story of how he blew his first NBA check in one day during an appearance on Complex’s Hot Ones interview show.
But it seems he got smart very quickly.
Shaq made early investments in Google and Apple, two financial decisions still paying dividends two decades later.
Shaquille O’Neal has also gone on record to say that he follows Jeff Bezos’ principles when deciding whether or not to invest. In a previous interview with The Wall Street Journal, O’Neill said: “I heard Jeff Bezos say once [that] He bases his investments on whether it’s going to change people’s lives,” and “Once I started doing that strategy, I think I’m probably worth quadruple that.”
Young and naive when he first entered the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has since acquired a lot of business acumen.
A few final pieces of noteworthy information.
Most NBA fans may not be aware of Shaq’s portfolio, but they’ve almost certainly seen him on TV as a member of TNT’s Inside the NBA, which also means his appearance in the NBA 2K video game. He has more to do with the league than just being a commentator. He bought a minority stake in the Sacramento Kings in 2013, though he sold that stake in 2022.
Few former NBA fans rest on their laurels after retirement. Not Shaquille O’Neal.
It looks like Shaquille O’Neal’s professional career is still in its early stages, if his track record is any indication. There’s only one question for Diesel: What next?
However, were you surprised by Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth in 2023?
Source: clutchpoints.com
