Business and basketball have gone hand in hand for the Big Aristotle. Shaquille O’Neal is one of the few in the NBA who has built an enormous business empire based solely on his business acumen. But what’s truly inspiring about O’Neal is his fearless dive into diverse fields, that drove his net worth to $500 million. Now, he’s looking to expand further. But is he also competing with MJ and King James to join the exclusive Billionaire NBA club?

One of Shaq’s long-time friends came close to revealing a big secret, calling the NBA icon the next billionaire. Notably, O’Neal has been part of intriguing deals that have the potential to propel his net worth straight to a billion.

Shaquille O’Neal ventures into the candy world 

The Big Aristotle recently teamed up with renowned confectionery giant Hershey’s to launch Shaq-A-Licious gummies. Although it may seem like an unusual business venture for O’Neal, it makes more sense given his love for gummies, rooted in his time spent in Germany, which is famous for its candies.

These gummies have gained significant popularity, partly due to O’Neal’s enthusiastic promotion. He even made a stop at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Times Square to promote the gummies before appearing on The Tonight Show.

“I’m just a big kid at heart. I love making people smile and having fun–that’s why I created Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies. So go ahead, bite my head off. Life’s too short not to have fun!” Shaq said. Then, of course, there’s Big Chicken.

The Lakers legend launched his Big Chicken business in 2018 in Las Vegas. To promote the brand, he even started a reality show centered around the fast-casual restaurant: Big Chicken Shaq. Now in its seventh year, the company is steadily expanding with locations in Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, and Lubbock, and it aims to grow to 300 stores. It is backed by its parent company, JRS Hospitality.

Shaq has made significant strides to achieve his vision for the brand. And if successful, this expansion could bring O’Neal closer to joining the billionaire club. However, opening a Big Chicken location is no small feat. This is because a single franchise costs around $1.5 million. 

It may have been in the past, but O’Neal built much of his net worth when he owned 155 Five Guys restaurants. He has also served on the board of directors at Papa John’s. Recently, he chose not to seek re-election to the board of directors and instead shifted to focusing on his role as an endorser.

Apart from business, the media veteran has also been a permanent figure in the entertainment world. He has acted in several films and shows and built a strong musical career. However, Big Diesel doesn’t earn a single penny from his DJing career. He does it purely for fun and enjoyment. Regardless, he has also started to release albums, having previously released four. After his retirement, Shaq also joined the TNT crew as an analyst, where he earned much more than he did during his playing days in the league.

Shaquille O’Neal built his empire on these business pillars

His passion for investment began with Google. Following this, Shaq invested in several big tech companies, such as Edsoma and more. One of the most successful of these was Ring. In a deal with Jamie Siminoff, he invested $1 million in the company and helped boost its revenue by making public appearances for the brand. However, there’s another lesser-known investment that proved to be a skyrocketing success for him.

A wealthy man once suggested to Shaquille O’Neal that he could boost his net worth as well as secure his family’s future by investing in an annuity fund. It worked like magic for him.

“I said how and he taught me a word I never heard. ‘Shaq, you need to invest in Annuity,’ and I never knew what it was. And I looked it up ’cause I was making so much money from commercial and all, I didn’t know what to do with it. And he said, ‘Yeah all this money you’re making, if you put it away, you can invest it and you can start collecting at 50, 60, and 70.’ So that was my greatest investment,” O’Neal once shared. 

“I don’t pay any attention to the money. If I lose it all, it is no big deal, myself and my family are already financially secure because when I started in the NBA, every year I invested in annuities,” O’Neal said.

Last year, Magic Johnson, who has a net worth of $1.2 billion, joined the NBA Billionaire’s Club sharing the status with Michael Jordan and the Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who were already members, holding the first and second positions, respectively. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are also close, but Shaquille O’Neal’s dedication to surpassing them is equally commendable.

However, there’s one thing that is common in all the billionaires in the club. Jordan, with a net worth of $3.5 billion, is the minority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. He sold his majority stake in 2023, which boosted his net worth. He also owns the NASCAR team 23XI Racing, which was introduced in 2021.

As for the $1.2 billion rich James, the 4x NBA champion has been a part owner of Liverpool FC since 2011. Through a deal with Fenway Sports Group, he has stakes in several other ventures.

The Lakers legend Johnson boasts the most impressive portfolio, including ownership stakes in the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Sparks. O’Neal, too, held minority ownership in the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to 2022. Rumors suggest he’s looking to buy stakes in an NBA team that might debut in Las Vegas, though the deal is still in the works.

What do you think is next for O’Neal?