You’ve probably seen the memes. Shaquille O’Neal is everywhere—selling you printers, car insurance, pain relief cream, and even extra-large pepperoni pizzas. It’s easy to think he’s just a "pitchman," a retired athlete slapping his face on anything for a check.
But that’s not what’s actually happening.
Shaq is basically a walking, talking conglomerate. He doesn't just do commercials; he owns the companies making the commercials. Or at least a massive chunk of them. While most NBA stars go broke within five years of retirement, Shaq’s net worth has exploded to an estimated $500 million as of early 2026. He didn't get there by playing it safe or just saving his NBA salary. He did it by becoming one of the most aggressive franchise owners and brand investors in history.
Honestly, the list of what businesses does shaq own is so long it feels like a typo. But if you look closely, there’s a very specific method to his madness.
The Big Chicken Takeover and the Franchise Empire
If you want to understand Shaq’s business brain, you have to look at his plate. He loves food. Not fancy, tiny-portion food—real, "I’m 7-foot-1" food. This is why his biggest move lately hasn't been buying someone else’s brand, but building his own.
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Big Chicken is his crown jewel. He started it in 2018 in Las Vegas, and by now, in 2026, it’s basically everywhere. We’re talking over 40 locations open and a pipeline of 350+ more in development. He’s even got them on Carnival Cruise ships. It’s not just a restaurant; it’s a scale-up machine.
But before Big Chicken, Shaq was the king of the franchise world. You might have heard he owns "all the Five Guys." That’s a bit of a myth now. At one point, he owned 155 Five Guys locations—which was about 10% of the entire company. But he actually sold those off back in 2016 to diversify.
Currently, his food and fitness portfolio looks like this:
- Papa John’s: He owns nine locations in Atlanta. He’s also on the board of directors (though he stepped back from some duties recently) and has his own "Shaq-a-Roni" pizza.
- Krispy Kreme: He owns the historic shop on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta. He’s famously obsessed with their doughnuts and has talked about wanting to own 100 more.
- 24 Hour Fitness: He’s got 40 of these gyms under his belt.
- Car Washes: This is the boring one that makes a ton of money. Shaq owns roughly 150 car washes. Think about that. Every time someone in a random suburb gets a deluxe scrub, Shaq gets a tiny piece of that action.
He Owns Your Favorite Dead Brands (Well, Sorta)
This is the part that usually blows people's minds. Shaq is the second-largest individual shareholder of a company called Authentic Brands Group (ABG).
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Why does that matter? Because ABG is a "brand vampire" in the best way possible. They buy iconic brands that are struggling and bring them back to life. Because Shaq owns a massive stake in ABG, he technically co-owns:
- Reebok (He helped buy it back from Adidas for $2.4 billion).
- Forever 21
- Brooks Brothers
- Barneys New York
- Sports Illustrated
- Quiksilver and Billabong
- Juicy Couture
He even owns the rights to the names and likenesses of legends like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Muhammad Ali. So, if you see a Marilyn Monroe t-shirt at a mall, Shaq is likely making money off it. It’s a genius move—he’s moved beyond being a celebrity to owning the concept of "celebrity" itself.
The "Jeff Bezos Strategy" for Tech
Shaq isn't just buying fried chicken joints and t-shirt companies. He’s been a tech nerd since the 90s. He famously invested in Google before it went public because he heard a guy talking about it at a hotel. He put in $250,000 back in 1999. You can do the math on what that’s worth today (hint: it’s a lot).
He also got into Apple early and was an early investor in Ring (the doorbell camera company) before Amazon bought it for $1 billion.
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His latest obsession? Following Mark Cuban.
"Whatever Mark is investing in, I'm investing in," Shaq said recently. This led him to take a big stake in BeatBox Beverages, a party punch brand that’s been blowing up at festivals. He even launched his own "Blueberry Lemonade" flavor with them last year.
The Strategy: Why He Does It
Shaq’s business philosophy is actually pretty simple. He won’t invest in anything he doesn't personally use or believe in. He turned down a massive deal with Starbucks years ago because he said, "Black people don't drink coffee" (he later admitted he was wrong about that one, but he stood by his principle of only selling what he knows).
He also likes "boring" businesses. Car washes and laundromats don't get headlines, but they have crazy cash flow. He uses that steady cash to fund the "fun" stuff like Big Chicken or DJing as DJ Diesel.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think he’s just a "minority owner" who shows up for photos. While that’s true for some of his tiny stakes, with things like Big Chicken and ABG, he’s deeply involved in the strategy. He’s not just the face; he’s the muscle behind the deals.
Actionable Insights: The "Shaq Way" to Wealth
If you’re looking to apply the Diesel’s strategy to your own life, here’s how he actually operates:
- Diversify, then Focus: He started with 155 Five Guys, sold them when the market peaked, and moved that money into his own brand (Big Chicken) where he has more control. Don't be afraid to exit an investment to start your own thing.
- Invest in "Need" and "Want": He owns car washes because people need them, and he owns Reebok because people want them. A balanced portfolio covers both.
- The "Nice" Tax: Shaq famously buys things for random people in stores. He claims that being "the nice guy" has opened more doors for him in boardrooms than his four NBA rings ever did.
- Partner with Experts: He doesn't pretend to know everything about tech or apparel. He partners with guys like Jamie Salter (ABG) or Mark Cuban and lets them handle the nitty-gritty while he handles the scale.
The next time you see Shaq on TV, remember: he isn't there because he needs the paycheck. He’s there because it’s good for the brands he already owns.