In an NBA world filled with big people, there are few bigger in size, stature and personality than Shaquille O’Neal. The former Los Angeles Lakers superstar has spent his post-career life as a massively involved investor for all types of products and venues. A big man with big ideas needs a big house, which is why Shaq has been involved in real estate. Recently, he set his eyes on a mansion that is just as big as, if not bigger than, the White House.
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This all started when O’Neal publicly commented on an Instagram post detailing the building. He asked what part of Alabama the 55,000 square foot behemoth was. At $5 million, the house is quite a bit cheaper than what most would expect, even if that total is more than 90% of people will make in their lifetimes.
It’s uncertain whether Shaq will actually pursue this investment. With two guest homes — not rooms, but full residences for guests — along with a 25-person movie theater, a ballroom and more than 15 acres of land to explore, it seems like a ridiculous buy-low opportunity.
However, according to the original creator, Shaq would be the third buyer in the past 20 years, none of whom have been able to turn a profit on the supersized estate. Shaq is no stranger to the difficulties of selling a home, though, as he struggled to find an offer he liked for his 31,000 square foot mansion in Florida until recently.
From 28 to 11: The Art of the Deal
When Shaq listed his Florida mega-mansion for $28 million, he thought it was a fair, reasonable price. Little did he know that, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times, it would take five agents and three years before he would move off his previous investment.
Maybe the difficulty to find buyers came from the sheer quantity of references to himself that Shaq left in the building. Between a Superman logo and the pool he called “Shaq-apulco,” this was not going to be a quick sell.
Although he only received $11 million, about 60% of his initial asking price, that is still a hefty chunk of cash and one he could easily flip on the aforementioned Alabama opportunity.
