‘Don’t know what that means’ Shaquille O’Neal leaves co-hosts in stitches as $500m business empire expands

Shaquille O’Neal’s $500 million empire just got bigger, and he doesn’t even know it.

The NBA legend was caught off guard on Wednesday when his co-host Ernie Johnson on Inside the NBA asked about his new role as a co-CEO of DC Studios, and his response left the entire studio in stitches.

O’Neal had no idea what his new role meantCredit: @NBAonTNT
DC Studios is a film and television studio which oversees the production of movies and TV series of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.

On Wednesday, reports emerged that O’Neal had joined the company, and he appeared to indicate he had no clue what his role meant.

“You have become a third co-CEO for DC Studios alongside James Gunn, who directed ‘Superman’, and Peter Safran. Tell me about it,” Johnson asked O’Neal.

“I don’t know what that means,” O’Neal said.

“A third-co what?”

His response left Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith into laughter as they were left stunned that he had no idea what his new job was.

To be fair to O’Neal, when you’ve amassed a $500 million empire, you can be forgiven for not knowing every moving detail of your portfolio.

The four-time NBA champion has made the most the vast wealth accumulating during his playing career.

He is estimated to have made around $286 million from 19 seasons in the league.

O’Neal is currently ninth in career salary earnings in NBA history, but it is what he has been able to do with his fortune since that has supercharged his worth..

O’Neal has become a co-CEO for DC studiosCredit: @HomeofDCU

Shaq is worth over half a billion dollarsCredit: Getty
After retiring in 2011, he has made a number of savvy business moves that have made him a bona fide mogul.

He has lucrative brand deals with the likes of PepsiCo, Icy Hot, DraftKings, NBA 2K, Wheaties, JCPenny, and many, many more.

The 7ft legend is also the president of basketball operations for Reebok, with fellow NBA icon Allen Iverson serving as vice president.

Moreover, the 15-time All-Star has built a successful investment portfolio, which includes ownership stakes in companies like Google, Papa John’s, and a variety of franchise businesses.

In 2019, O’Neal joined the board of directors for Papa John’s and invested in nine franchises in Atlanta. He also became the face of the brand, significantly boosting its image. The deal was worth a reported $8 million.

He also owns a Krispy Kreme franchise in Atlanta and co-founded Big Chicken, a Louisiana-style fried chicken sandwich chain.

He has also invested in car washes, health clubs, Las Vegas nightclubs and, at one point in time, owned 155 Five Guys franchises, roughly 10 percent of the burger chain’s locations.

He’s also invested in real estate in Orlando and Newark and was a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to 2021.

However, one of his most famous wins came when he invested in the home security company Ring.

O’Neal is an NBA icon turned business mogulCredit: Getty
According to reports, what started as a practical purchase — he needed a security system for his home — turned into a lucrative investment.

After spotting Ring cameras at Best Buy, Shaq installed the system himself and was so impressed that he sought out the company’s CEO and invested.

A few years later, Amazon purchased Ring for $1 billion, and Shaq enjoyed a serious return on his initial investment.

O’Neal has mastered his business empire, and joining DC Studios may be another masterstroke.