Being an early investor in Google, launching Big Chicken, and reviving Reebok. Sounds quite weighty, right? But this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg in Shaquille O’Neal’s business portfolio. The NBA legend also has a line of gummies and a personal brand, ‘SHAQ’, through which he offers more affordable shoes and athletic wear. With an estimated net worth of $500 million in 2025, Big Diesel has discovered yet another way to support local communities.

“There’s a tremendous need in the US for better infrastructure. You see it in your roads, you see it in your airports, your train stations, and I want to help make that change. And, you know, Jacmel is the partner that can help me do that,” Shaq told Romaine Bostick of Bloomberg.

Shaq is now a founding partner at Jacmel Infrastructure. According to Statista, in 2024, public spending on highways and streets totaled $143 billion. These costs don’t only include the creation of new roads but also the repair and maintenance of the existing ones.

The 15x All-Star added why this investment felt super-personal. “I like to invest my time and money where it can make a difference in people’s lives and have a positive impact on the community. So, I thought it was the right thing to do cuz I live in a town where we need we definitely need better infrastructure,” Shaquille O’Neal said. What he is stating is not wrong; a recent report from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) provides the picture.

The report was released in March of this year, and over the past four years, there has been an improvement in overall infrastructure, although it has not been significant. The previous grade was C- in 2021. Now, the United States’ grade is C, the highest grade given by ASCE since it began its Report Card in 1998.

The ASCE evaluates up to 18 categories, including aviation, bridges, drinking water, public parks, solid waste management, and wastewater treatment, to provide a consistent ranking. There is a disconnect, and the report highlighted it. “Projects should be modernized or replaced by prioritizing resilience to withstand extreme weather,” the ASCE mentioned in its document titled: Pathways to Resilient Communities.

As a founding partner, Shaquille O’Neal hopes this will be another successful venture. “As long as we have companies like Jacmel doing that thing and, you know, bringing what they bring to the table is beautiful… every time I win a championship, it’s because I have great winning in a broadcast with your best friend, Charles Barkley. So I want to also win a championship in the infrastructure space,” the big man concluded.

Shaquille O’Neal has been providing ample help at the local levels, helping inspire the next generation of NBA stars

Developing infrastructure is a long-term vision, and Shaq admits to being on the right path. Earlier this year, he teamed up with Arike Ogunbowale of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, in partnership with Icy Hot. They opened up Shaq’s Sixth Comebaq Court in Gloria Williams Park in Rockwall County.

The court was renovated to inspire the next generation of basketball players in underserved communities. “I live here in Rockwall, so I know this is an area where we come from, and the court was pretty messed up. So, I’m going to be doing a lot of stuff. We’re going to be doing a lot of stuff in this area. We just want to give them somewhere to come out and just play and just imagine. I’m from San Antonio, so I know what it is to be out here,” Shaq told CBS News.

Even Arike Ogunbowale, a Wisconsin native, was proud to help the people of Dallas. The 4x WNBA All-Star has represented the Wings since her rookie days in 2019. She called the initiative a “no-brainer”.

Apart from this, the Lakers legend and his foundation are already working on developing a 17,000-square-foot facility based in the northeast region of Las Vegas. There’s no stopping Shaquille O’Neal; he’s out there to spend his every last penny to make local communities a better place.