Shaquille O’Neal has made a fantastic fortune for himself in the NBA throughout his illustrious career. One of the most beloved icons in the world of basketball, Shaq has also largely given back to the community.
However, quite like many celebrities even the NBA legend has a special liking for cars and has an impressive collection in his garage. His taste for luxury cars goes as far as an incident where he merged two Ferrari into one.
Shaquille O’Neal once tore two Ferraris in half and built a huge stretch car for himself
During an appearance on the Conan O’Brien show, O’Neal talked about his purchase of two sports cars in a single day. Shaq desired to own a luxurious car, but his immense size posed a problem because he couldn’t comfortably fit into a regular Ferrari.
Shaquille O’Neal whose height stands at 7.1 feet and weighs 325-pound narrated how his body size gave him a nice trouble. To address this issue, Shaq asked the car sellers to customize the vehicle to accommodate his size and provide comfort.
He said, “One day, I see a Ferrari come by. I was like, ‘I want one of those guys.’ So I went to the thing and the guy was like, ‘You’re too big.’ And I hate those words. .. I was like, ‘I’m too big?’ So, one of the guys was like, ‘Maybe you gotta buy two and put — cut one in half and put them together.”
That led Shaq to eventually buy two Ferraris which were merged to build a magnificent car that could size him.
The 1998 Ferrari F355 Spider underwent modifications to suit O’Neal’s body size, to the point where smaller individuals couldn’t even reach the car pedals. The seats featured his distinctive Superman logo, a personal touch he frequently adds to his cars. However, it sure did cost Shaq good money as the two Ferraris each were valued at around $200,000 to $300,000.
What is Shaquille O’Neal net worth in 2023?
Shaquille O’Neal, who was once one of the NBA’s most dominant and iconic centers, had a 19-year career in the league with numerous accolades and achievements. He won four NBA championships, received three NBA Finals MVP awards among others. Now retired, Shaq is an entrepreneur, TV host, and product endorser with a net worth of $400 million.
Off the court, Shaquille O’Neal served as a marketing force, endorsing a wide array of products and brands over his career. His total earnings, including salary and endorsements, exceeded $800 million, placing him among the highest-paid athletes in history.
Some of his most notable endorsement deals included Reebok, Pepsi, Icy Hot, and Buick. During his NBA career, he earned $292 million in salary alone and made well over $200 million from endorsements during that same period. Even though he’s been retired for quite some time, Shaq continues to earn approximately $60 million annually from endorsements and various business ventures to this very day.
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