Shaquille O'Neal: 'If I Were Playing Right Now, I'd Be A Trillionaire'

Shaquille O’Neal is never shy with bold proclamations and his latest one might top them all. Appearing on the New Heights podcast with NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, the Hall of Fame center declared: 

“If I were playing right now, I’d be a trillionaire. And I believe that, 100%.” 

As audacious as it sounds, when you dive into the numbers and understand Shaq’s unique charisma, business savvy, and media magnetism, you realize… he might not be too far off.

Let’s start with Shaq’s career earnings. During his 19-year NBA tenure, he raked in $286,344,668 in player salary. That’s before endorsements and business ventures, which now make up the bulk of his estimated $500 million net worth. 

He played in an era before supermax contracts, before YouTube mixtapes turned teenagers into shoe deals, and certainly before NIL and social media became income streams. So when Shaq says he’d make a fortune today, he means more than just basketball salary.

In 2025, stars like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are signing deals that push past $300 million, and projections suggest contracts might climb to $400–450 million in just a few years. 

Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, and one of the most dominant forces the league has ever seen, would command at least that and more. In today’s league, he wouldn’t just be an athlete. He’d be a walking brand empire.

Which brings us to social media.

Shaq currently boasts 35.1 million followers on Instagram, 15.4 million on Twitter (X), and 9.3 million on Facebook. While that trails global icons like LeBron James or Stephen Curry, Shaq's appeal isn’t about curated brand aesthetic, it’s about relatability and reach. He uses his platforms with a sharp strategy: 

"When I first got on social media, I was showing off, and then my mother got on social media. She was so disappointed. She’s like, "Baby, you don't have to show off your gold chains and your cars." 

"So I had to figure out a way to use social media. So I use 60% to make you laugh, 30% to inspire you, like, if I see something inspirational or cool or anything, I'll forward it—and then the 10% is, hey, this is Shaq for Beat Box, this is Shaq for Icy Hot." 

"So I would do it like that. I probably would have had the same method growing up, and I would have made so much money." 

And that 10% includes a flood of endorsement deals: Icy Hot, The General, Papa John’s, Reebok, Gold Bond, and more. Shaq is everywhere. Imagine how many more brands would line up if he were still dunking on defenders today.

He’s also no fool in the boardroom. Post-retirement, O’Neal’s business moves include investments in Five Guys, Auntie Anne’s, Krispy Kreme, Ring, and Google. His portfolio is diverse and forward-thinking. In a world where brand equity and personal image are currency, Shaq's marketability could’ve easily multiplied with TikTok, NIL-styled licensing, and global expansion.

Still, he knows the word trillionaire is hyperbole. Even Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos haven’t cracked that. But if Shaq were 25 today? 

With the league’s rising cap, a booming global fanbase, NIL-style earnings, digital content, and a billion-dollar personality, it’s not far-fetched to imagine him rivaling Michael Jordan’s net worth or even passing LeBron.

From Diesel to DJ to Doctor to Business Mogul, Shaquille O’Neal isn’t just a giant physically, he’s a business model. And in today’s NBA ecosystem, his name would be minted in platinum.