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Michael Jordan and LeBron James invest in tequila while Shaquille O’Neal owns 7,000,000 shares in the water industry

Samir Mehdi
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Michael Jordan and LeBron James invest in tequila while Shaquille O’Neal owns 7,000,000 shares in the water industry

Shaquille O’Neal owns an incredible number of shares in Alkaline Water Company as opposed to fellow NBA legends who own tequila brands. 

The business acumen of legends such as Julius Erving and Magic Johnson was undoubtedly passed onto guys like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. The latter in particular has made himself an empire based solely off his investment and endorsement deals, with him accumulating over $400 million in net worth. 

Of course, Shaq receives such deals due to the fact that he is who he is and that is an extremely likable person. O’Neal realized during his days at LSU that he could monetize his joyous personality coupled with his obvious superstardom in the NBA. 

It was actually a professor at college who told ‘The Big Aristotle’ that big guys don’t sell. Shaq took the constructive criticism in stride and made sure he was a more marketable man when entering the league. 

Fast-forward to today and the Lakers and Heat legend has invested in everything from fast-food chains like Five Guys and Krispy Kreme to fitness industry with brands like 24-hour fitness and MaxPro fitness.

Also read: “It’s easy when you have Kobe Bryant, the best player in the world”: Shaquille O’Neal sang Lakers guard’s praise after going up 2-0 against Spurs in 2001

Shaquille O’Neal invests in an alkaline water company. 

While LeBron James and Michael Jordan began to indulge in the tequila side of liquids, Shaquille O’Neal found himself in the water business. Mid-2021 saw O’Neal hop onto the Board of Advisors for The Alkaline Water Company while also getting a chunk of equity in the company.

Also read: “I don’t want $900,000 to advertise the $881 billion crypto industry!”: $400 million worth Shaquille O’Neal rejected offers to promote or join in on cryptocurrency

Shaq owns 7 million shares of The Alkaline Water Company which roughly equates to about 5-6% of the entirety of the company. 

“Alkaline88 is an innovative product in the water category and I am so excited to partner with The Alkaline Water Company to help raise their game to new heights. I am humbled by the opportunity to join the Advisory Board while also being a brand ambassador,” said Shaq. 

Shaq did once try to dabble in the alcohol business by releasing his own ‘Luv Shaq’ vodka but it didn’t perform as well as he wanted it to. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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