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Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth is reportedly $400 million, per CelebrityNetWorth, so the guy isn’t exactly cash-strapped or looking for ways to make money just to survive. However, given the fact that he’s still one of the most entertaining athletes on the planet — which is why he’s hilarious to watch as a TNT analyst — and that companies seek him out, when he can earn more cash, why not do it, right?
For you or me, since we’re not Shaquille O’Neal, that might be harder than it sounds. But not for the four-time NBA champ, who said that, while tons of brands approach him for marketing and endorsement deals, he makes sure he uses some business advice from the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, to make his decisions. By doing so, according to O’Neal, the former NBA star has been able to add millions to his net worth.
Talking to Fox Business, per Yahoo! Finance, here’s what Shaq said he learned from Bezos, and how he’s able to apply that same strategy to his personal branding and only rep products he’d use himself.
“I heard Jeff Bezos say one time when he was talking [that] he makes his investments based on if it’s going to change people’s lives,” O’Neal told The Journal. “Once I started doing that strategy, I think I probably quadrupled what I’m worth now.”
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“My method is old school. Of course there’s a lot of money to be thrown around but when you’re raised by a military drill sergeant, you have to do business honestly,” he explained.
When approaching CEOs and business leaders, O’Neal added that “If I don’t use your product as a man I can’t take your money.” That guiding principle extends to his current range of business interests, he said.
“Doesn’t matter what you offer me,” O’Neal said. “I just can’t do it. Because it’s not the right thing to do.”
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“Whenever I do business, it’s not about the money,” O’Neal said of his business ventures.
First off, it’s wild to think that Shaquille O’Neal believes utilizing Bezos’ method has increased his net worth by four times, because the former baller was already wealthy AF. Second, it’s actually pretty cool to see a guy like Shaq — who has to get thrown pitches from companies all day long — turn deals down if he doesn’t truly believe in the product. Other athletes or celebrities might not be willing to do the same thing.
And, while everything Shaq touches doesn’t necessarily turn to gold all the time, at least he’s repping companies that he believes in and wants to use for himself, which, as he said, makes doing business more honest. Plus, this kind of echos that story about Michael Jordan turning down a huge endorsement deal early in his career because he thought it might hurt his personal branding, so, yeah, Shaq and MJ seem to have their shit together when it comes to business decisions.