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It’s a family affair over at the Shaq Brand. Walking Away From Reebok As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Shaquille O’Neal had a multi-million-dollar shoe deal on the table from Reebok. However, he walked away from the deal in 1998 to launch an affordable shoe line in partnership with Walmart. This was prompted after a mother told him that his younger fans couldn’t afford his shoes being sold by Reebok . O’Neal recounts on “The Big Podcast” that he went to his mom in hopes she would counter what the woman had said. However, his mother not only agreed but she also reminded him about his hometown of Newark, NJ. “She’s like, ‘Remember, you ain’t never had no shoes that cost more than $40.’ So, I said to myself, ‘All right, I’m gonna start my own line.’ I called Reebok and said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to renew.’ I had like $50 million on the table. I had no idea what I was going to do. So, I was thinking about where do my people go. Walmart. Walmart is the best distribution in the world....
Shaquille O’Neal has once again invested in Atlanta’s youth. In 2021, the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation opened the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County, which included a learning center, computer lab, arts & crafts center, music studio, game room, multipurpose room, and gym, according to its website. Prior to its opening, the foundation invested over $1 million to support renovations with the support of additional partners. According to Empower Atlanta Magazine, staff acknowledged that the club has been helpful to families by providing academic support, mentorship, and after-school programming. “The Boys & Girls Club always provided a safe space for me when I was growing up,” O’Neal said in a 2022 news release. “It shaped who I am today, and I’m proud to help create similar pathways to success for the kids of Henry County.” O’Neal has doubled down on his commitment to the youth at the 2025 Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Youth of the Year Gala, which recognizes teens...
Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson signing on to Reebok has benefited the business. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, O’Neal returned to Reebok in 2023 after walking away from a $40 million deal more than two decades earlier in 1998. He was appointed as Reebok’s president of basketball and has been “very” hands-on, he told Boardroom. “I do everything but nothing,” he said to the outlet. “True leaders don’t micromanage. If I’m gonna start a media company, I’ll call you. You do all the work, I proofread it, say yes or no, and we move on from there.” One of O’Neal’s strategic decisions was onboarding Angel Reese, who signed the company’s first major name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal. Now in the WNBA, representing the Chicago Sky, Reese dropped her signature shoe line with Reebok on Sept. 18, under a multiyear contract extension, and it sold out within hours of launching, CBS Sports reports. This affirms O’Neal’s priorities when he joined Reebok. “It’s all about product, players, and...
Taahirah O’Neal, the eldest daughter of Shaquille O’Neal, has officially joined the board of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, taking a leading role in the organization’s new Boys & Girls Club youth facility in Las Vegas. In a recent Instagram post, she wrote: “These past few months, the board and I have been busy behind the scenes — planning, dreaming, and laying the groundwork for what’s to come.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taahirah (@taahirahoneal) The facility, which AFROTECH™ previously reported as a $16 million project, is now estimated at $24 million, Essentially Sports reports. According to the outlet and Taahirah’s post, the Shaquille O’Neal Youth Development Complex, set to open in 2026, will span 30,000 square feet, providing children from kindergarten through high school with access to basketball, football, combat sports, mental wellness resources, and educational programs. Partners, including the Las Vegas Raiders and UFC, have contributed features...
Campus, a two-year accredited school backed by Shaquille O’Neal, has acquired an AI startup. Campus As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the school was founded by Tade Oyerinde and backed by more than $100 million from investors such as O’Neal, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Discord Founder Jason Citron, Figma Founder Dylan Field, Joe Lonsdale, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Bloomberg Beta . It features instruction led by part-time faculty from top-tier higher learning institutions such as Stanford University, Howard University, and Princeton University. According to its website, it offers various programs, such as an associate’s degree in business administration and information technology, as well as concentrations in applied AI. Additionally, students can earn diplomas in cosmetology, barbering, medical assisting, phlebotomy, and more. Students also won’t have to be as burdened with the costs of higher learning, which was Oyerinde’s intention from the start. “We did not want to add $1...
Shaquille O’Neal has attached himself to a venture that will lead energy development in underserved communities. According to a press release, he is now a founding partner of Jacmel Infrastructure, the recently launched investment platform of alternative investment firm, Jacmel Partners. The platform will lead development in energy, digital infrastructure, critical transportation, and urban revitalization in underserved communities. The firm aims for projects to boost the local economies of the surrounding areas and will communicate with local governments. O’Neal brings his expertise as a businessman and serial investor, with a portfolio that includes Five Guys, Papa John’s, Krispy Kreme, gyms, and car washes, Basketball Forever reports. O’Neal is also the second largest shareholder in Authentic Brands Group ; an owner of sports, lifestyle, and entertainment intellectual property; and owner of the Big Chicken franchise, which has 350 locations in development, as AFROTECH™ previously...
Shaquille O’Neal is embracing AI. The Hall of Famer and serial entrepreneur has always had an eye for tech. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he was an early investor in Google. He also invested in Lyft and Ring, according to Vanity Fair. Now, he is taking a hands-on approach and is partnering with Fortune 500 company Carvana to launch an AI-powered assistant called the Shaqbot, per a press release. Carvana, which is designed for people to buy and sell used cars online, has sold and bought over 4 million vehicles, according to information shared by the company in October. The company caught the attention of O’Neal, who jokingly was looking to “take over Carvana and rebrand it to Shaqvana,” according to campaign information shared with AFROTECH™. “This is our middle ground,” Carvana said in a playful comment about the partnership. At Shaqvana.com, users can find O’Neal’s favorite vehicles using filters based on his preferences such as “fuel efficient daily drivers, roomy trucks, cars...
Shaquille O’Neal is backing a scholarship to support the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs. What Is Campus As AFROTECH™ previously reported, O’Neal is an investor in Campus, a two-year accredited school with part-time instructors from top universities. It was founded by Tade Oyerinde to ensure students receive a debt-free education. “We did not want to add $1 to the pile of student loan debt in this country…That’s super key for me,” Oyerinde said on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast. Campus Merit Scholars Program Oyerinde has raised millions for the education venture, and O’Neal is one of its investors, in addition to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Discord Founder Jason Citron. Now, O’Neal is strengthening his commitment to the student population through his involvement with the Campus Merit Scholars Program. A press release states that students selected as “Shaq Scholars” will be eligible for a full-tuition scholarship to pursue an associate degree in business...
Shaquille O’Neal has extended a grand business offer to a young rising athlete. Nalah Barry isn’t your average 6-year-old. Marca notes that her father, Dominic Barry, was a professional boxer who is now teaching her the ropes. Barry is forging her path as a five-time boxing gold medalist with a gray belt in martial arts. She also has a strong fanbase online through her prominence on her father’s TikTok page. One video garnered 76.9 million views and 8.2 million likes. His account has 1.6 million followers (at the time of this writing). Barry’s journey was not overnight. In fact, she lost every tournament for the first six months of her career, Dominic revealed in a TikTok video. He also shared that despite that challenging time, she displayed toughness, grit, and a spirit of perseverance. “In the beginning, it was all about her heart. One day, she snapped. One day, everything started clicking. Actually, it was the training that we put in outside of jujitsu. She wanted to put more...
Four-time NBA champion, Hall of Famer, and sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal continues to be a powerhouse in the fast-casual dining space. His restaurant venture, Big Chicken, now has more than 350 locations in development across the U.S., making it one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country, Fadeaway World reports. Launched in Las Vegas in 2018, the brand has evolved into a nationwide movement built on big flavors, oversized portions, and personality-packed menu items like the “Big Aristotle” and the “Charles Barkley.” As the outlet notes, Big Chicken’s mission is simple but impactful: Channel O’Neal’s “larger-than-life personality” into comfort food that keeps guests coming back for more. Building that bold idea into an empire hasn’t come without its hurdles. Since launching its franchise model in 2021, Big Chicken has faced some growing pains, Essentially Sports reports. Despite opening in promising markets like Houston, Lubbock, and Fort Worth in Texas, some locations,...
Shaquille O’Neal’s business portfolio inspires LSU athlete Flau’jae Johnson. O’Neal has positioned himself as the ultimate businessman. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the former Los Angeles Lakers player with four rings and $286.3 million in career earnings was an early investor in Google “by accident.” After running into a high-profile investor at the Four Seasons, he caught wind of the tech company, which now boasts a $2.29 trillion valuation per Companies Market Cap . Convinced of its potential, O’Neal moved forward with an investment in the company and later discovered in a newspaper that he hit the jackpot. “The newspaper told me how much I made and I couldn’t believe how much I made,” he said, according to TechCrunch. O’Neal’s portfolio also includes Big Chicken, a fast-casual restaurant chain with restaurants nationwide, and Authentic Brands Group, where he is its second-largest shareholder. The brand management company profits from not only O’Neal’s name and likeness but...
Shaquille O’Neal is paying close attention to Mark Cuban’s investment moves. Respectively, both are serial investors. Cuban’s portfolio includes Richualist, maker of The Mint hair tool. Created by Founder Dawn Myers, the company secured a $150,000 joint investment from Cuban and fellow “Shark” judge Emma Grede in 2024. The investors offered the amount up in exchange for 15% stake in the company and 5% stake through advisory shares, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. In January 2025, Cuban doubled down on an investment in Beanstack, a Black-led edtech company, participating in a $1.5 million seed round led by Riverside Acceleration Capital and Evoce Capital, per a press release. He also is the a minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, after selling his majority stake in December 2023, per The New York Times. One of Cuban’s earliest deals, in particular, caught the attention of O’Neal, which was Broadcast.com, launched originally as AudioNet. According to CNBC, the platform,...
Shaquille O’Neal has settled the FTX investor lawsuit. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the former NBA player, who is now a serial entrepreneur, had been named alongside FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, and others, as defendants in an $11 billion class action lawsuit that was filed in Florida. The defendants had all been featured in FTX ads. For their involvement, they were being accused of promoting the cryptocurrency exchange, which ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections and went defunct. The suit stated the defendants endorsed a “fraudulent scheme” that was “designed to take advantage of unsophisticated investors from across the country, who utilize mobile apps to make their investments.” O’Neal had attempted to distance himself from FTX. “People know I’m very, very honest,” O’Neal explained, according to CNBC’s Make it. “I have nothing to hide. If I was heavily involved, I would be at the forefront saying, ‘Hey.’ But I was...
Although Shaquille O’Neal already boasts a couple of degrees, he’s in the process of earning another master’s degree. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the NBA champion obtained a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2000, using his mother as a source of motivation. “I left [college] my junior year, so I was only a few credits short. So I go back to school…and I’m loving it, but I’m hating it at the same time. But I’m like, ‘Just let me do it for my mom'”, the four-time NBA champion explained during an interview on the podcast “In-Depth with Graham Bensinger.” O’Neal later pursued an MBA from the University of Phoenix, which primarily offers online classes, but this time, he paid for his friends to also obtain their master’s degrees so he could take courses in a classroom setting, according to SI . In addition, he also holds a doctoral degree in education, which he earned in 2012 from Barry University. Now, O’Neal is in school yet again. This time, he is looking to become a...
Shaquille O’Neal has built a thriving post-NBA career, leveraging his larger-than-life personality and business acumen to secure major brand partnerships, media deals, and entrepreneurial ventures. From endorsements with major corporations to investments in various industries, O’Neal has cemented himself as a powerhouse beyond the court. Now, he’s extending his presence on television — O’Neal will be staying with TNT. According to Front Office Sports, the former basketball player turned sports commentator has secured an extension with the network that will earn him $15 million annually. The future of O’Neal and his “Inside the NBA” co-hosts, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, had been in question after it was announced that TNT lost its NBA media rights to Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. The three companies entered an 11-year media deal valued at $76 billion, which will take effect in the 2025-26 season, USA Today reports. “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has...