Children of famous athletes often face dilemmas about their identity and enter the ventures created by their parents. In one such instance, Taahirah O’Neal confessed that she is aware of the advantages generated by her father Shaquille O’Neal‘s megamillionaire status and huge recognition as a 4x NBA champion. Therefore, when entering the business with her dad she felt that she was the beneficiary of “nepotism”. This initially made her reluctant to join Shaq’s business quests.
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The 27-year-old appeared on the ‘Do I Know You w/ Jordiera’ and opened up about her experiences of joining her dad’s business. Host Jordan Davis asked Taahirah O’Neal about the “perks” and “challenges” of entering her father’s business ventures. “The perks? It’s a short list,” replied Taahirah O’Neal.
The eldest O’Neal daughter confessed that she has benefited from nepotism but she also held her ground as someone who was never afraid of facing the charge. Recognizing her privilege, Taahirah declared that she doesn’t take her status “for granted”. Being brought up by parents, who were raised by military people, the military-like discipline seeped into her life.
“I have never been disillusioned. I know the fact that I am someone who benefits from nepotism. I’ve never been afraid of that conversation ever in life. I have always known that I am a very privileged person in all aspects. I don’t take any of these opportunities for granted. The way that my siblings and I were brought up, my father and my mother honestly, they come from a military family background,” she admitted to Jordan Davis.
The young businesswoman also confessed that she and her siblings always knew that they’d inherit the family business. However, the expectations of handling a business meant that there was “pressure” on the kids. This mounting pressure bothered the eldest kid. She swore she would stay away from her father’s ventures.
“Parents, they’d be doing that Mr. Miyagi reverse psychology stuff on you because I swore, I swore! I wasn’t gonna be working with Shaquille at all,” added Taahirah O’Neal.
Despite these early disinclinations, she ended up joining her father’s business. It happened because, as per Taahirah, “there’s no one who cares about the Shaquille O’Neal brand like he does, like I do.” Therefore, despite resistance, the budding business personality knew that the road would lead to her family business.
Shaquille O’Neal’s children attract a lot of social media traction
While Taahirah O’Neal has partaken a significant role in her father’s businesses, other children have also carved their pathways. Eldest son Myles O’Neal has a built solid reputation as a disc jockey and music artist. More than 250k Instagram accounts follow the artistic personality.
Shareef O’Neal is a former four-star recruit and tried his all to craft a professional hooping career. He enjoys a following of 3 million on Instagram. 20-year-old Shaqir O’Neal is a deep reserve for Texas Southern Tigers’ men’s hoops squad. His following on Instagram is also inching towards a million.
Second-youngest daughter Amirah O’Neal is a standout hooper at counter-part Texas Southern Tigers women’s squad. More than 100k people follow her on Instagram. Youngest daughter Me’arah O’Neal has also set in her father’s and siblings’ footsteps. As a four-recruit, she earned the nod to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Shaq presented the 6’3” aspirant with the #24 jersey for the early April game. Her Instagram has more than 200k followers.
