It’s important to look beyond the surface sometimes. Shaquille O’Neal demonstrated this beautifully as he spoke about his definition of ‘being’ rich. Shaq sure knows something about it, as the ‘Big Diesel’ has accumulated over $400 million as his net worth. That’s a lot of money, by any metric. However, according to Shaq being rich doesn’t mean having loads of money. The ‘Big Diesel’ considers being rich to mean something else.
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Frankly, when the Big Diesel spoke about his idea of wealth, it was not a big surprise to hear that didn’t consider being rich as having a lot of money. Remember, the man once started a line of shoes with Walmart, with the goal of being affordable to poor kids. Rather, for Shaq, being rich means that you are able to get your loved ones what they want and essentially fulfill their dreams.
Shaquille O’Neal’s childhood
On an episode of the Pivot Podcast, Shaq spoke at great length about his idea of being rich. At a conference, he was once asked how it felt to have a lot of money. This question made him realize that he didn’t equate being rich with having money.
Rather because of Shaq’s childhood struggles he considers being rich as being able to fulfill his mother’s wishes. He was one of five children and his parents often struggled to make ends meet. The Hall of Famer said ‘my definition of being rich is being able to buy my mom anything she wants.’
The Best Feeling in The World
Shaq now sits on top of a veritable empire, he is estimated to have a net worth that is over $400 million. However, even now, his definition of rich remains the same. The kid who grew up watching his mother look at nice houses wistfully is now a man who buys her any house she wants. Shaq recounted an incident where his mother was looking at a house and he asked if she liked it. When she said yes, he promptly said that it was hers now.
‘Being able to get her anything she wants is the best feeling in the world.’ Shaq’s devotion to his mother is heart-touching and it reminds us that even the biggest among us have a soft spot in their hearts.
