MrBeast Plans To Buy Out A Whole Walmart Store To Break Shaq's $70k Record, But Shaq Tells Him He Tried During Katrina—'They Won't Let You'

When it comes to pulling off jaw-dropping stunts, there's no one quite like MrBeast. Known for his massive challenges and philanthropy, MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) is constantly setting new records and pushing the limits of what's possible. But during a recent interview on The Big Podcast with Shaq, he floated the idea of breaking Shaquille O’Neal's legendary $70,000 Walmart WMT shopping spree record. However, there's a twist—Shaq himself has already tried and failed to do the same thing.

The Record-Breaking Walmart Spree

Shaq's Walmart spree has become the stuff of legends. As the story goes, when Shaq moved to Phoenix from Miami, he arrived at his new apartment late at night to find it completely empty. He was not one to wait around for things to happen, so at 2 a.m., he went to Walmart to get everything he needed, including laptops, underwear, and sheets. In the end, Shaq's cart was packed with $70,000 worth of items, making it the “biggest purchase in Walmart history.”

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But when it came time to pay, Shaq's credit card was declined—not once, but twice. This left the basketball star a bit puzzled, thinking, "I know I'm not broke!" Eventually, he received a call from American Express security, who suspected fraud due to the massive Walmart charge. Shaq gave them his famous response when they questioned why he was spending $70,000 at the store: “Because I’m Shaq.”

MrBeast's Ambitious Idea

Fast forward to today, and MrBeast, always looking for new ways to outdo himself, decided that breaking Shaq's record would make for an incredible video. His plan was simple: walk into a Walmart, buy every single item on the shelves, and see how much it all costs. It's an idea that could easily go viral—and one that would no doubt rack up millions of views. “I want to walk into a Walmart and buy every single item in the store,” he shared.

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But when Shaq heard about his plan, the NBA legend had some advice for him. Apparently, Shaq had already tried to pull off a similar “stunt” years ago. He recalled an experience after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when he tried to buy everything in a Walmart in Baton Route, Louisiana. Despite being a superstar, the store turned him down. The reason? Walmart simply wouldn't let him do it without giving him a reason. Shaq said, "They won't let you do that."

“I’m working with them to potentially find a Walmart that’s about to shut down. We’re trying to figure it out. I think I might be able to pull it off this year that I think would be crazy,” Donaldson said excitedly. He continued, “Imagine I just walk into Walmart, I pull up with 30 18 wheelers and we buy everything on the shelves. The bill might be like $7 million or something ridiculous and then donate it all to charity.”

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Why Walmart Won't Let You Buy Everything

While it might seem odd that Walmart wouldn't allow Shaq to make such a big purchase, there are some logistical reasons behind it. First of all, if someone were to buy everything in the store, it could create massive disruptions, especially with restocking. As Donaldson pointed out, there's a concern of customers not being able to buy what they need.

While it seems like MrBeast is set on breaking Shaq's Walmart record, Shaq's experience shows that it's not as easy as it sounds.

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