Respected in the court and the financial world, basketball player Shaquille O'Neal has shown wisdom in doing business & finding investment opportunities.
Who is Shaquille O’Neal?
Everyone knows Shaq. Whether you know him as “The Big Aristotle,” “The Hobo Master,” or “The Diesel,” he is considered by many to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He’s 7 foot 1 inch and is loved by millions. Though most people still consider him a world-renowned basketball player, he has accomplished much more in his lifetime.
Shaq has been active in stocks and bond investments since the early 1990s. He made some bad deals in his early business ventures but learned from them and has many incredible partnerships. If you are looking for a reason to look to Shaq for business strategy inspiration, consider his net worth of $400 million.
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“I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok”.
- Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neals Background
Shaquille was born to tall parents in New Jersey on March 6, 1972. After spending time in prison, his biological father never came back to Shaq’s family, the reason why he considers his stepfather, Philip Harrison, as his real dad. He was an Army sergeant, and he significantly influenced Shaquille always to be honest.
By the time Shaq was 13, he was 6 ft 6 in. He didn’t play on a basketball team until he was 16. By that time, he was 6 ft 10 in. He led his team to success, and in his senior year, his team won the state championship. At 17, he had made 791 rebounds in the season, which remains the state record.
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Shaquille went on to attend college at Louisiana State University (LSU) to study business, and he played for coach Dale Brown. He received many awards and accolades but never put his education on the back burner. Though he left LSU for a career in the NBA, he continued his education.
"I respect him (his stepfather) more for raising somebody else’s child – and disciplining that child as if it was his own child. Without him, I wouldn’t be here today. I’m glad he did it".
- Shaquille O’Neal
A 7 foot shining star…
Shaquille O’Neal stood out among his peers, not only because of his 7’1” height, but quite simply because he was constantly putting himself in a position to be famous.
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Shaq’s basketball career lasted 19 years, but he shined into the occasion for multiple other career opportunities, among some remarkable other business endeavors…
- Shaquille started to compose and release rap albums in 1993.
- He was even a guest rapper with Michael Jackson and Aaron Carter.
- He also had an interest in law enforcement and was a reserve officer.
- He is an actor and has appeared in several movies and television shows.
- He’s tried his hand at wrestling and appeared in commercials.
… with a shining smile!
Shaq's comedic, and sometimes irreverend, personality was developed ever since he was a youngster, particularly since he was assigned with a school project to explain how he could market himself.
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His teacher noticed Mr. O'Neal's trouble with the assignment and bluntly told him "big guys don’t sell", words that made Shaquille think and even recognized "he was correct", on "The be better off show" later on his career, for which he seeked for the answer of the question "how can I be different?".
“I kept seeing this dumb dog, Spuds MacKenzie. His (Bud Light) commercials were funny… So I said, ‘Okay, if I ever got the opportunity to show myself to the world, there has to be a lot of humor in my commercials”.
- Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq was not only good in basketball and being famous, but in business and interviews. And he’s just a funny guy. People love funny guys.
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Perseverance is a bliss
A lot of athletes go broke after they retire, but not Shaquille. He never quit hustling, on and off the court. O’Neal was always looking for the best investments and endorsements.
That Google investment story
Having a keen ear can get you into real good investment opportunities, Shaq talks about how he overheard the conversation of 2 guys at the Beverly Hills Hotel about how Google's search engine could one day make phones do a lot of things.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Shaq said he wanted to invest in it "My guy hooked it up, we invested and then I forgot all about it. And then I read an article, and everybody else read an article about a big hit that some of the early, early investors received.”
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His Investment Strategy and Philosophy
Shaquille made a few bad deals initially, but then he heard Jeff Bezos say something profound that became his strategy for investing, “he said he invested in things that would change people's lives”. Right then, Shaq decided that his philosophy would be to only invest in companies he aligned with. He decided he wouldn’t take money from businesses he didn't believe in.
“Before you succeed, you must learn how to fail”, Shaq said in an interview. He used his failures as turning points in his business decisions and made them work. O’Neal invests in the things he enjoys, like Five Guys, Auntie Annes, and Muscle Milk.
Shaquille puts a premium on helping his community. He invests in companies that support the community and gives back. He wants to watch his wealth grow while others are being helped.
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“Before you succeed, you must learn how to fail”.
- Shaquille O'Neal
Lessons to Learn From His Results
Observing Shaq's investments is a great way to learn about financial opportunities. He’s a multi-millionaire with great success in many facets of life. One lesson we can learn is to diversify. O’Neal invests in food, fitness, real estate, tech, fitness, auto insurance, education, and healthcare. There are many different roads to financial success, so why choose only one?
Another vital lesson from Shaq is to do your research. Many people are trying to scam people, and it’s up to you to take a step back and examine the deal.
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If you don’t understand the deal, then don’t invest. Shaq has a guy who translates the things he doesn’t understand and repeats them to O’Neal in words that are easier to understand. Realizing most people don’t have the money, he has to pay people to handle things like that, but the point is not to act smarter than you are. Know your strengths.
“Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. you are what you repeatedly do”.
- Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is an inspiration and a success, and it’s essential to learn from those that have gone before us.
