© Michael C. Johnson - USA TODAY Sports
As much as NBA players try to convince us they're just like us, we constantly get reminded that's not the case. Shaquille O'Neal's solution for boredom after work proves that.
With all the news about how Shaq learned to save his money the hard way, it seems he still liked to flex his millions from time to time. One time, he bought a hookah bar just because he got nothing to do after Inside the NBA. So instead of drinking with others, The Big Diesel had something else in mind.
“Yeah, I bought a hookah bar so I have somewhere to go after the show.”
You need more than a few million bucks in the bank to pull a move like this. A lot of players go through their NBA earnings before you can say "retirement savings," but Shaq's not one of them. Not because he made so much it's hard to go through it all, but because Dr. O'Neal went to school and learned to invest his money.
In 19 seasons in the NBA, the former L.A. Lakers star amassed $292 million in career salaries, but his net worth has ballooned to $600 million, thanks to wise investments, specifically franchising.
Shaq once owned 40 24-Hour fitness gyms, 155 Five Guys Burgers restaurants, 17 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels restaurants, nine Papa John’s restaurants, and 150 car washes, among others.
Our takeaway from this story is that it’s okay to spend your hard-earned money and have fun from time to time. But make sure to invest wisely, so you only get to enjoy the earnings without taking away from your funds.
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