Shaquille O'Neal Grows Business Empire Beyond NBA Earnings

Shaquille O'Neal now earns more from chicken sandwich sales than from his basketball career

Former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal, known for his towering height of 7'1", earned approximately $30 million at the peak of his NBA career. Currently, however, his annual revenues exceed $95 million, coming from various business ventures and endorsements.

His restaurant portfolio includes around 50 locations, including Big Chicken (40 locations—his flagship brand co-founded in 2018, with over 350 more in development), nine Papa John's locations in Atlanta, and one Krispy Kreme outlet. Additionally, he previously owned 155 Five Guys restaurants and 17 Auntie Anne's Pretzels locations.

O'Neal stated that he only invests in products he personally uses and enjoys. "I once heard Jeff Bezos say that he makes investment decisions based on the impact they'll have on people's lives," O'Neal said in an interview with CNBC. "Once I started applying that strategy, I believe I increased my worth fourfold." He has dined on burgers from Five Guys, trained at 24 Hour Fitness, loved Krispy Kreme donuts, and ordered pizza from Papa John's long before investing in these companies.