Shaquille O'Neal Net Worth

Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in NBA history. A 7-foot-1 center, he was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992, won three straight titles with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 to 2002 and a fourth with the Miami Heat in 2006, and was the league MVP in 2000.

Off the court he became one of sport's best-known pitchmen and a busy investor. Forbes estimated in 2016 that his net worth was over $400 million, and it has since named him to its ForbesBLK 50 list of influential Black entrepreneurs.

How he made his money

O'Neal earned big salaries over a 19-season career, but endorsements and business deals made up a huge part of his income. Forbes ranked him No. 10 on its 2017 list of the highest-paid athletes of all time, with $735 million in career earnings, and noted that his low-cost sneaker line had sold more than 120 million pairs.

His biggest single deal came in 2016, when he sold a stake in his name and likeness business to Authentic Brands Group. Forbes reported that the lifetime agreement was expected to generate $230 million to $270 million for him and had already lifted his net worth to over $400 million.

An empire of franchises

O'Neal is known for buying into franchises. Forbes describes a robust portfolio of fast-food franchises and other businesses, and he is also a longtime NBA analyst on television and a national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix after his playing days.

The headline figure is Forbes' estimate from May 2016, the most recent Forbes net worth figure we could find for him. It is ten years old, and his businesses and TV work have kept going since. Other sites publish higher numbers, but none is from Forbes or another outlet we use as a source, so we show the Forbes figure and its date rather than guess.