"Is it gonna change people's lives?" - When Shaquille O'Neal revealed Jeff Bezos' million dollar advice to him

Shaquille O'Neal has amassed quite a sizable fortune not just because of his NBA career, but also because of some pretty smart investing. As many know, O'Neal is frequently seen in commercials acting as a spokesman for companies that he either owns or invests in.

But there was one investment that has earned Shaq a whopping ~$112 million for every $100,000 invested. After winning three championships with the LA Lakers, O'Neal heard two men talking about topics like search engines, and the possibility of having the internet at your fingertips.

The conversation caught the three-time NBA champion's attention, but rather than try to overhear their conversation, Shaquille O'Neal walked right over to their table. He asked them to repeat what they just said, but instead received an invite to sit at their table.

After they explained to him what they were working on, the NBA big man decided to invest. The company? Google. And as it turns out, O'Neal was investing in their Series A funding.

Since then, Google has gone on to receive a valuation of $2 trillion dollars, with the Hall of Famer still owning some of those same shares to this day.

As O'Neal explained during a CNBC forum in Abu Dhabi back in 2022, his investment strategy is one that he's learned from Jeff Bezos:

“It’s basically based off one principle — belief. [Do] you believe in the product? Is it gonna change people’s lives? ... That’s what it is about for me.”

Shaquille O'Neal's investments

Shaquille O'Neal has leveraged his investment strategy to achieve significant success, amassing a substantial portfolio that encompasses various businesses. His investments reportedly include 17 Auntie Anne's Pretzels locations, 40 gyms, over 100 Five Guys restaurants, coin-operated laundry machines, and Papa John's pizzas. Shaq's diverse array of investments showcases his entrepreneurial prowess and a broad range of business interests.

Despite that, he still doesn't want to step on any toes, including Bezos'. When news broke that Robert Sarver would be selling the team following the revelation of racist remarks, O'Neal was part of a group that expressed interest in purchasing the team.

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(Suggested Reading: Shaquille O'Neal takes shot at Orlando Magic)

Soon after the Hall of Famer found out that Jeff Bezos was interested in potentially owning the team, he reversed the course, changing his mind while saying that he didn't want to compete with Bezos given the Amazon founder's wealth.

As he stated to CNBC, you simply can't compete with Bezos when it comes to money.

As fate would have it, Mat Ishbia, a former NCAA champion turned CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage wound up buying the team. While O'Neal may still pursue ownership in the future, it sounds as though for the time being his focus is still investing