Basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal has been recounting the time he bought three Rolls Royce cars worth $1.3 million – just because a salesperson annoyed him.
Speaking on the online show Drink Champs, which is hosted by DJ RFN and N.O.R.E., Shaq revealed that he was in a dealership shopping for a new car, but had set himself a budget.
“I didn’t want to spend $400,000 on a car, so I was asking ‘hey man, how much is this? Nah. How much is this one?’” he says. “Then the old guy [salesperson] says ‘you’re asking about a lot of cars. Can you afford them?’ Now I’m pissed… so I buy three.’
The real kicker is that he also admits he never even drove the cars after that. Shaq is estimated to be worth about $400 million, but even so this is an expensive way to prove a point to someone.
But Shaq is generally savvy with his money. Shaq accrued his wealth through a hugely successful basketball career that spanned 19 seasons in the NBA, including spells at Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. He is still regarded as one of the best centers of all time and appeared in the NBA All-Star game 15 times.
He has also made money outside of basketball over the years from a series of investments, including bonds, as well as buying up shares in companies such as Apple, Google and PepsiCo. He has also been a property developer, as well as a DJ and television pundit. He has also owned and sold 155 Five Guys restaurants – about 10% of the total number of outlets – as well as owning a string of health clubs and the Big Chicken brand of chicken sandwiches, among other ventures.
