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Friday, September 18, 2026

Papa John’s Makes Shaq Rich(er)

  • Shaq’s shares of Papa John’s are worth more than $7 million after the company reported a 27% increase in same store sales.
  • Other ventures in Shaq’s portfolio include Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, car washes and tech company investments.
Shaq business
Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

More than a year ago, Papa John’s paid Shaquille O’Neal $4.1M and gave him 90,000 shares of stock to endorse the brand, become a board member, and own nine stores as a franchisee. The pizza company recently reported a same-store sales jump of almost 27%, making Shaq’s stock holding alone worth $7M, according to Darren Rovell

If his The General Car Insurance commercials are any indication, Shaq is everywhere and Papa John’s is just a portion of his retirement portfolio. The TNT analyst, who made $300M during his playing career, is raking in cash through dozens of investments. 

Some of his more notable holdings, according to Money

  • 17 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels franchises
  • 40 24-Hour Fitness gyms
  • 150 car washes
  • 155 Five Guys locations – though he has since sold them
  • A Big Chicken restaurant in Las Vegas
  • Early stakes in Google and Apple
  • Early investor in Ring, which sold to Amazon for $1B
  • Sacramento Kings minority ownership

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