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“Am I Going to China?”: Having Amassed $600,000,000, 7’1 Giant Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Smart Business Strategy

Published 03/30/2023, 9:50 AM EDT

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As an entrepreneur, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has been able to replicate his success on the hardwood. On the court, the Lakers legend is one of the best centers of all time. Off the court, he is one among the shrewdest of entrepreneurs. On the back of numerous lucrative endorsements, meticulous investments, and involvement in fruitful ventures, the former MVP has doubled his fortune over the years.

The millionaire superstar has recently thrown light on one of his shrewd business strategies that helped him amass wealth. From fast-food chains to health clubs, Shaquille O’Neal has turned every venture he touched into gold. At the heart of Shaq’s entrepreneurial success is his willingness to partner with other reliable players in business.

Shaquille O’Neal reveals his strategy

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The Los Angeles Lakers legend believes that business, like basketball, works better when done as a team. Despite being one of the smartest businessmen out there, Shaq is fully aware that there are people who are smarter than him. However, he is not willing to sit with that realization. Instead, he goes to those who are smarter than him and does business with them. The seven-footer has recently revealed why he prefers joint ventures over other business models.

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Alluding to various businesses, Shaquille O’Neal said, “If I am to do a football podcast, call somebody else. So, I have the knowledge of how to run them, how to do it. But I always want to do joint venture.” While he started his own shoe company, the Big Aristotle learnt that join ventures is one of the safest havens in business. “Am I going to China, an economy with billion people. So, you got to do joint venture,” the former MVP said. The $600 million worth NBA superstar has just reiterated how joint ventures contributed to his growing business empire.

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Shaq is part of many joint ventures

The former MVP had earlier famously said that his favorite word in business parlance is ‘joint venture ship.’ DJ Diesel has invested in over 200 companies. His investment portfolio covers tech giants like google and apple to fast-food chains like Papa John’s and Aunt Annies. O’Neal is a member of the board of directors of Papa John’s. Even while doing joint ventures, the 4x- NBA champion is shrewd and picky. He does business with companies that are well established and have a wide distribution.

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Shaq started his own shoe business after walking out of a $40million deal he had with Reebok. The unique selling point of his brand of sneakers is their affordability. To sell his affordable sneakers, the Lakers legend partnered with Walmart. With this partnership, DJ Diesel sold more than 400 million pairs of shoes.

WATCH THIS STORY: Magic Johnson vs Shaquille O’Neal, who is richer?

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Written by:

Krishna Prasad M

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Krishna Prasad is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. A trained reporter, Krishna's intense passion for sportswriting prompted him to become an NBA journalist.
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Edited by:

Aayush Kapoor