Shaquille O’Neal may have made business moves that garnered him a $400 million net worth. But that doesn’t mean his kids will automatically be given the keys to the proverbial kingdom.
In a recent interview, Shaq said that he is making his children work hard for their money — and has no problem telling them that just because he’s rich, doesn’t mean they’re rich.
“My kids are older now. They kinda upset with me. Not really upset, but they don’t understand,” he said to The New York Post. “I tell them all the time. We ain’t rich. I’m rich.”
Shaq to his kids: “We ain’t rich, I’m rich.”
Teaching them work ethic. 💪
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 27, 2021
What’s more, Shaquille O’Neal said that if his children do want the keys to his kingdom, they have to be willing to follow a code of ethics and a lifestyle that he lays down for them. And if they fail to follow his directives, they get nothing.
“You gotta have bachelor’s or master’s [degrees] and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you’re going to have to present it, boom boom boom, bring it to me,” he said. “I’ll let you know, I’m not giving you nothing. There’s one rule: education. I don’t care if you play basketball. I don’t care about none of that. I got six kids. I would like a doctor, somebody to own a hedge fund, a pharmacist, a lawyer, someone that owns multiple businesses, someone to take over my business. But I tell them I’m not going to hand it to you. You gotta earn it.”
Fortunately, the children of Shaquille O’Neal seem to be holding their own when it comes to their professional lives. Let’s take a look at how they’re doing so while following Daddy’s rules!
Editorial note: The net worths listed in this piece are speculative estimates drawn from a variety of online sources.
Taahirah O'Neal
Estimated Net Worth: Unknown
Taahirah O’Neal took what her father said seriously, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Oglethorpe University in 2019 with a bachelor of arts in sociology and a minor in politics and African American studies. In addition to her activism, Taahirah O’Neal works at Pepsi in their social media department, and also gets involved in the company’s various activism causes, such as Pepsi Stronger Together.
Shareef O'Neal
Estimated Net Worth: Unknown
The oldest of Shaq’s biological children is poised to take the basketball crown from him. Currently a junior at LSU, Shareef O’Neal reportedly wanted to be a skateboarder when he was younger, and only developed a passion for basketball in high school.
Amirah O'Neal
Estimated Net Worth: Between $1 Million and $5 Million
Amirah O’Neal is still in college, and like her father, she plays basketball. Though she initially got her start at Louisiana State University, she transferred to Texas Southern University, an acclaimed historically Black university, this past fall.
Shaqir O'Neal
Estimated Net Worth: Unknown
Shaqir O’Neal is another one of the O’Neal children that are currently going into the “family business.” In May 2021, he announced that he was going to Texas Southern University, again on a basketball scholarship. “You’ll see a lot of buckets,” he said.
Me'arah O'Neal
Estimated Net worth: Between $1 million and $2 million
The youngest of Shaq’s biological children, Me’arah O’Neal is also following in her father’s footsteps and attending college on a basketball scholarship. It was recently announced that she had two pending scholarship offers from Division I schools, and is considered No. 3 in the entire country for the class of 2024.
Myles B. O'Neal
Estimated Net Worth: $35 million
Myles B. O’Neal is based in Los Angeles and is the founder of Gems Gateway, an NFT trading site. He also works as a DJ at different festivals from time to time.
