$248 Billion worth Jeff Bezos’ life-changing investment advice to Shaquille O’Neal revealed
Shaquille O'Neal revealed the 'life-changing' advice that was given to him by Jeff Bezos, prompting his successful business ventures.
Follow Us
Shaquille O'Neal revealed the 'life changing' advice he received from Jeff Bezos
Shaquille O’Neal might have been a basketball legend but his legacy off the court as a savvy businessman has redefined his post-NBA career with a string of successful investments. His journey into the business world wasn’t always smooth. Shaq’s initial foray into investing was marred by recklessness and instinctual decisions. That changed dramatically after a pivotal conversation with Jeff Bezos.
Bezos, Amazon’s $248 billion founder, provided Shaquille O’Neal with advice that reshaped his approach to investing. During a rapid-fire interview on the IG channel @theschoolofhardknockz, Shaq shared the advice from Bezos that became his guiding principle, and the common trait between all successful business ventures.
“They keep it very simple. Like Jeff Bezos said, you invest in things that’s going to change people’s lives. I heard him say that and i changed my whole investment strategy and been very very successful.”
Shaquille O’Neal via The School of Hard Knockz
The shift in mindset transformed ‘Big Diesel’ from an impulsive investor to a thoughtful entrepreneur with a diverse and profitable portfolio. O’Neal explained that Bezos emphasized focusing on ventures with the potential to make meaningful differences in people’s lives. He also spoke about some crucial pieces of advice that transformed him as a player and as a business mogul.
“I was a thief. Let me explain. If you see somebody that’s doing better than you, steal what they’re doing. So for me, I stole Michael Jordan, I Stole Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, I stole Muhammad Ali and I put it inside my brain and i created Shaquille O’Neal”
Shaquille O’Neal via The School of Hard Knockz
This perspective resonated deeply with the 4-time NBA champion. He picked up from stars on the court to improve his game and learned perspective from the success stories of business moguls like Jeff Bezos to reach the heights he has. As of now, Shaquille O’Neal’s net worth has soared to north of $500 million, a testament to his savvy but humble approach on and off the court.
The story behind Jeff Bezos’ advice to Shaquille O’Neal
In a 2020 interview with Forbes, Shaquille O’Neal recounted how a chance encounter with Bezos at CES in Las Vegas changed his perspective on business. Before meeting Bezos, Shaq was admittedly haphazard in his investment decisions.
“You could tell me anything, and if it sounded good, I would invest”
Shaquille O’Neal talking to Forbes
This mindset was soon going to change when Shaq stumbled upon the key advice to investing from Jeff Bezos in Vegas. His new mantra to investing had a simple approach: invest in things that change people’s lives. This certainly brought him great success, including the major investment he made in ‘Ring’ following the advice from Bezos.
One of Shaquille O’Neal’s most celebrated investments is his stake in Ring, a home security company. Since its acquisition by Amazon, Ring has continued to flourish, generating an annual turnover of approximately $415 million as of 2024. Shaq’s endorsement played a significant role in the company’s success.
Stay Updated!
Armaan Gupta
(292 Articles Published)