What's up everybody? Welcome back to Big Time Hoops.
Today we’re going to talk about one of the biggest stars of NBA history that
everybody loves: Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaquille O’Neal is widely considered to be one of the most dominant players of
all time in the NBA. The Lakers legend was able to win 4 championships that came with many personal
records. But Shaq is equally successful outside the basketball court as well.
It is known that Shaq is a multi-millionaire and that basketball is just a part of his fortune.
So what did Shaq do to make all that money? How does the NBA superstar spend his millions now?
If you want to know the answers to these questions then you’re at the right place,
so sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the video! It’s no secret that former athletes often
experience post-career money issues. In the NBA, for instance, 6 out of 10 players go broke within
five years of leaving the sport. But since his retirement in 2011,
Shaquille O’Neal has been surfing his investment benefits and encouraging others to do the same.
After earning nearly $300 million during his record-breaking 19-year basketball career,
Shaq now makes more each year than the $30 million salaries he earned playing in the NBA.
That’s because off-the-court, the former NBA champion-turned-entrepreneur has built
an impressive business empire, investing in everything from fast-food restaurants,
to the latest tech, and nightclubs. Shaq was even one of the first investors in Google,
but we’ll get to that later. Shaq has an estimated net worth of
400 million dollars! We can only imagine all the stuff one could do with all that money, let’s take
a look at how Shaq spends his millions. He bought a fan a laptop
Shaquille O' Neal surprised a fan when he offered to gift him a laptop at a Best
Buy store in McDonough. The incident happened when a Georgia resident named Patrick Martin,
who was just buying a laptop when he spotted Shaquille at the store. Patrick got close to
Shaq and offered condolences over the recent death of his former teammate: Kobe Bryant.
This gesture by Patrick seemed to have touched Shaq's heart because he offered to pay for the
man's laptop. The fan also paid his condolences to Shaq's sister who recently died because of cancer.
Patrick Martin lived out a dream, not only did he get to meet Shaq but as he stated on Facebook,
he even got a laptop out of it. This may not be a crazy way to spend money as far as big amounts,
but it shows us how kind Shaq was with his fans. Home for paralyzed 12 year old
Another great act from the basketball superstar. Shaq was deeply touched by this story,
as a 12-year-old was left paralyzed due to gun violence. O’Neal immediately went out of his way
to help, purchasing the boy and his family a new home and one that was wheelchair accessible.
Shaq told CNN: "I was watching the story and it's just sad. It could have been any one of
us. It could have been my son. It could've been your cousin, and she was living in a one-bedroom
apartment with her two boys, so we found her a house in College Park. Nice area. I'm going to get
her some Ring cameras on me. We're going to give her some furniture, TVs and pay her rent off for a
year and help her get on her feet." Cars
One of Shaq’s first big purchases was the time he bought three Rolls Royce’s at the same time.
Since then, his love for cars hasn’t gone away, his garage is packed with huge Ford F-150s, along
with everything else from a customized Vaydor to a modified Lamborghini that fits his big frame.
The former NBA star owns an impressive car collection. While there isn’t an exact number
to this collection, all of the cars combined are estimated to cost around $4-5 million.
To maintain all the cars he owns, O’Neal has to spend $23,000 every month on gas alone.
Shaq once told his hilarious story following his Rolls Royce purchase: “One day I just went
in. Mike Tyson was in there buying a couple of Bentleys. I had on some shorts and a tank
top and flip-flops, and I said to the salesman, ‘Sir, how much does this one cost?’ He said, ‘Can
you afford it, sonny boy?’ I was so upset that I bought three Bentleys right there on the spot.”
1.15 million house If you make 400 million dollars, of course, you’re
buying a house. Shaq bought himself a beautiful estate out in Atlanta, worth over $1.15 million.
The property includes two homes, a three-stall barn, and a swimming pool on more than 14
park-like acres. A large workshop is attached to the barn. It also includes a 10-person theater,
weight, and game room along with one spacious and luxurious backyard setting. Talk about knowing how
to spend your millions! Google
Although Shaq did spend his millions investing in Google, it’s also one of the reasons he made much
more in the future. Before Google went public in 2004, the company’s stock traded at $85 per share.
Now, one share of Google stock costs well over $700, and we can all assume Shaq didn't
just invest 85 dollars. Shaq also gives business
advice every time he has the chance. Shaq once said: I heard Jeff Bezos say
that he makes his investments based on if it's going to change people's lives,
and once I started doing that strategy, I think I probably quadrupled what I'm worth.
Custom made bicycles Going back to luxurious possessions, we
have Shaq’s custom-made bicycles. Anyone who knows anything about Shaq knows his size is not the same
as the average person. So Shaq had to look for bikes that were specifically built for him.
It was love at first sight after he laid eyes on his new bike from Dirty Sixer.
According to the store rep, Shaq was like a kid on Christmas when he first saw the bicycle.
Shaq expressed his feeling for this bike saying: I have got a lot of things done
custom for me in my career, but nothing quite like that. I feel like a kid again! I’d like to
order another one like that for my other house. Imagine being so big you have to struggle to
find a bike that fits you, I mean as for the sport being huge favored him, but for things like these,
it must be a nightmare. Sweet 16 gift
Rich people have many ways of spoiling their children and that’s especially true for Shaq,
who isn’t afraid to open his wallet on special occasions.
Most of us can’t even remember what we got for our sweet 16. But as for Shaq’s son,
he’ll definitely remember forever because Shaq didn’t buy him a car,
he bought two! Shaq bought his son a stunning Jeep and as if that wasn’t enough,
it came with a sweet Lamborghini. Both rides cost the big man in the
six-figure range. Not to mention the massive party he threw for his son. It was a costly night for
Shaq. But hey, if you have that kind of money what better than to spend it on your family?
Gifts for his teammates With everything we talked about until now,
we can say with confidence that Shaq is an incredibly generous person with his money,
and the Lakers can affirm this. This stunt goes back in time in the early 2000s
when the Lakers were in dynasty mode. Mark Madsen revealed this story, which shows Shaq’s kind
generosity. Madsen said that not only did Shaq buy him a car, but he also bought several pairs
of shoes for the other players. It was all topped off by a Rolex for every player on the team.
The story starts when Shaq went to the locker room one day and asked who is driving the Toyota Astro
van parked at Staples Centre. When Madsen admitted that it was him, Shaq took him car shopping and
paid for the down payment of his new car. The shopping experience didn’t stop there,
as per Madsen, Shaq also bought him a new “Rolex.” After buying him one, the Laker legend all of a
sudden decided to buy a new Rolex for every single player on the Lakers roster during that year.
Those are just some things Shaq has spent his chips on over the years.
There is so much more But he loves to spend on himself and others.
What did you like the most? Leave a comment below. Until next time, Peace out.