Shaquille O'Neal is a basketball legend and, at this point, just as famous for his investments as his free throws—arguably more so. People follow his money moves almost as closely as his one-liners. One of his most quoted? The line he famously tells his kids: "We ain't rich. I'm rich."
But for all the business deals and billionaire energy, even Shaq turns to others when it comes to investing.
He's talked openly about learning from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to "invest in things that are going to change people's lives," and has said he admires legendary investor Warren Buffett's long-term mindset.
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But when it comes to knowing what to jump into next, Shaq says there's one guy he watches closely: Mark Cuban.
"Whenever Mark is investing in, I'm investing in," he said in an interview with People magazine published last week. "Mark could say, ‘Hey, I got a toilet tissue brand coming out.' I'm doing it."
That wasn't a joke. Shaq's not shy about following Cuban's lead—and he actually just did it. After seeing BeatBox Beverages at clubs while DJing, he gave it a try and was sold. "I thought it was Capri Sun… then I tried. I was like, ‘This is pretty good,'" he told People.
Cuban had already backed the brand on "Shark Tank" with a $1 million deal. So Shaq picked up the phone, talked to Cuban, and joined the party as an investor.
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"My spiel to everyone is being a teammate," Shaq said. "I'm going to be the one to help take it to the next level."
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And that's the pattern with Shaq. He says he only backs companies he actually uses and likes. "Every company that I'm with, I definitely have to like the product. If I don't like your product, I can't take your money and sell something I don't like to the people," he told People.
As for Cuban, Shaq said he trusts his instincts because Cuban's track record speaks for itself. "He's been very successful since he sold [Broadcast.com]," he said. That sale, of course, made Cuban a billionaire when Yahoo bought the company for $5.7 billion back in 1999.
Shaq didn't say how much money he's put into BeatBox, but that's not really the point. "I don't know what I'm making. I have no idea on any deal that I'm doing because I don't do it for that," he told The Dallas Morning News last month. "I just do it. I'm having fun, and whatever happens, happens."
So, if Cuban's next move is paper towels, toilet tissue, or a brand-new snack food, don't be surprised if Shaq's already writing the check. Because if Cuban's in? Shaq's in. No questions asked.
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