Ellie Kemp
Shaquille O'Neal has revealed why he won't be sharing his $500 million fortune with his six children.
The former NBA star made a name for himself playing basketball for teams like the LA Lakers, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat and now has a net worth of around $500 million.
While he racked up some of his money from his sports career, he's managed to keep the cash rolling in since his retirement in 2011 by backing businesses - including a $250,000 investment he 'accidentally' made some 25 years ago, which is now worth a fortune.
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But O'Neal has revealed in the past that he will invest into his kids rather than just handing them his money, quipping: "We're not rich. I'm rich."
O'Neal shares four children with ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal: sons Shareef, 24, and Shaqir, 21, and daughters Amirah, 22, and Me'arah, 18.
The 52-year-old is also dad to stepson, Myles, 27, from Shaunie's previous relationship, and eldest daughter, Taahirah, 28, with his former girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh.
He previously told Earn Your Leisure: “My kids are older now. They kinda upset with me - not really upset - but they don't understand. Because I tell them all the time. We ain't rich. I'm rich.
“You've got to 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... bring it to me, I'll let you know. I'm not giving you nothing.”
He continued: “There's one rule: education. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care about none of that.
“Listen, 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.”
On the note of money, O'Neal has previously denounced being a 'celebrity,' as he told the New York Post in 2021: “All my life, everyone probably gets stereotyped, but us celebrities, we get stereotyped because most of these celebrities are out of their mind.
"I don't do that. I'm a regular person that listened, followed his dreams and made it."
He added: “I came from nothing. But, just because I made it doesn't mean I'm bigger than you, smarter than you - just because I have more money doesn't mean I'm better than you. I've never been that way and I never will be that way. So I don't want to be in that category of people.”