“Got a f**king headache”: Shaquille O'Neal hilariously fails to get commercial shoot right with $2,240,000,000-worth brand
Shaquille O'Neal has an impressive business portfolio worth millions of dollars. While many players from his era spent the majority of their NBA earnings, O'Neal added to his net worth in retirement thanks to savvy business investments. As NBA fans around the league are well aware, the Hall of Famer can frequently be found appearing in commercials for various brands that he's invested in.
During a recent video posted by Papa John's on Instagram, the four-time NBA champ could be seen filming a commercial for the $2.24 billion pizza giant. While trying to promote the brand's "Garlic Epic Stuffed Crust pizza," Big Diesel was struggling to get things right in one take.
In typical Shaquille O'Neal fashion, the NBA legend decided to have some fun with his blunders rather than spend too long dwelling on them. The footage, complete with all of O'Neal's hilarious bloopers, was compiled into one video for Papa John's Instagram account.
At one point, after countless takes, O'Neal was whacked in the back of the head by a pillow, resulting in the seven-footer joking:
"I got a f*****g headache."
Check out the hilarious video below, complete with all of the outtakes.
Shaquille O'Neal's business portfolio and investment strategy
Over the years, Shaquille O'Neal has built up an impressive business portfolio. Early on in his career, his accountant, Lester, helped him open a series of coin-operated laundry machines. While the business move was a good one that earned the four-time champ plenty of money, some of it also went missing.
When $250,000 was unaccounted for, Lester got worried. However, the reality of the situation was much funnier. According to Shaquille O'Neal, he had collected nearly a quarter of a million dollars in quarters, stashing them in big containers at his house.
Fortunately, many of O'Neal's business dealings since then have been much smoother. In addition to his coin-operated laundry machines and a number of car washes, O'Neal has invested in Papa John's, The General Insurance, and of course, Icy Hot.
While his portfolio of businesses may seem random, there's actually a method to the madness. According to the Hall of Famer, he once heard Jeff Bezos offer advice to new investors, and it changed everything for him. As he told CNBC in 2022:
“I was at a tech conference in Vegas and I heard the great Jeff Bezos say, ‘If you invest in things, it’s going to change people’s lives,’ you will definitely get a nice return. ...
“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.”
With a massive net worth, and a number of savvy investments, it's safe to say O'Neal isn't slowing down any time soon.