The legendary NBA player Shaquille O’Neal is not only known for his on-court feats, but also for his enormous riches. He is a self-made man with the golden touch. O’Neal has expanded and explored ventures in a variety of fields since quitting the NBA 11 years ago. In fact, his full professional history doesn’t fit his LinkedIn profile.
O’Neal has achieved success outside of basketball since ending his 19-year career in that sport in 2011. The 50-year-old was an early Google investor who has since amassed a broad portfolio that includes holdings in Apple, 17 Auntie Anne’s, 40 gyms, and more than 100 Five Guys restaurants. But it all didn’t fall from the sky over his head. He had to work hard measure his every move to get to this place.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, the veteran star talks about his endeavors and states his motivation, “And then I was like, at some point I’m gonna have to retire, would love to live the same lifestyle.” He also reveals his life mantra that he gained from the book “Dummies Guide to Starting Your Own Business”.
He learned a valuable lesson from the book. O’Neal places great value on partnering with the right people and made sure he educated himself well on financial literacy. He said in the interview, “The best thing that happened for me is I bought a book, Dummies Guide to Starting Your Own Business, and my favourite chapter was joint ventureships. Because I’m a true believer in things that are hard, you break them down to the simplest form.”
