Shaquille O’Neal says his children 'don't understand' why he won't just 'hand' them any of his $400M fortune

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By stefan armitage

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Shaquille O’Neal has spoken out about how he wants his children to earn their way in life, and not just accept handouts from him.

Speaking about his ethos on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, the Basketball Hall of Famer revealed that his children will not be given any of his fortune. WFLA reports that the 51-year-old NBA legend is rumored to be worth $400 million.

Shaq told hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings: "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."

He continued: "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."

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Shaquille O'Neal doesn't do handouts. Credit: Denise Truscello / Getty

O’Neal then stressed that he doesn't care if his children follow in his huge footsteps - but he does want them to focus on their education. "There's one rule: education," he revealed. "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."

Despite not being willing to give his kids handouts, the basketball legend is open to supporting them financially for a good cause.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, he revealed that if his children came to him with a potential business venture - he would provide them with the fund, as long as they came through with a "business plan" and the "numbers" to support their ideas.

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Shaq has six kids in total. Credit: Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty

"I don't give a s*** what you are, because if it's done the right way, I believe in nepotism," he said.

Speaking to the New York Post in 2021, Shaq revealed that he is "retiring" from his celebrity status, saying: "These celebrities are going freaking crazy and I don’t want to be one. I denounce my celebrity-ness today. I’m done with it."

The basketball legend came from humble beginnings after growing up poor in Newark, New Jersey.

"I came from nothing," Shaq said. "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."

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Credit: Derek White / Stringer / Getty

He also told The Post that he credits the Boys & Girls Club of America for keeping him out of trouble as a kid.

Shaq has three daughters, two sons, and one stepson - Me'arah, 17, Shaqir, 20, Amirah, 21, Shareef, 23, Myles, 26, and Taahirah, 27.

Featured image credit: Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty

Shaquille O’Neal says his children 'don't understand' why he won't just 'hand' them any of his $400M fortune

vt-author-image

By stefan armitage

Article saved!Article saved!

Shaquille O’Neal has spoken out about how he wants his children to earn their way in life, and not just accept handouts from him.

Speaking about his ethos on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, the Basketball Hall of Famer revealed that his children will not be given any of his fortune. WFLA reports that the 51-year-old NBA legend is rumored to be worth $400 million.

Shaq told hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings: "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."

He continued: "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."

size-full wp-image-1263243114
Shaquille O'Neal doesn't do handouts. Credit: Denise Truscello / Getty

O’Neal then stressed that he doesn't care if his children follow in his huge footsteps - but he does want them to focus on their education. "There's one rule: education," he revealed. "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."

Despite not being willing to give his kids handouts, the basketball legend is open to supporting them financially for a good cause.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, he revealed that if his children came to him with a potential business venture - he would provide them with the fund, as long as they came through with a "business plan" and the "numbers" to support their ideas.

size-full wp-image-1263243113
Shaq has six kids in total. Credit: Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty

"I don't give a s*** what you are, because if it's done the right way, I believe in nepotism," he said.

Speaking to the New York Post in 2021, Shaq revealed that he is "retiring" from his celebrity status, saying: "These celebrities are going freaking crazy and I don’t want to be one. I denounce my celebrity-ness today. I’m done with it."

The basketball legend came from humble beginnings after growing up poor in Newark, New Jersey.

"I came from nothing," Shaq said. "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."

size-full wp-image-1263243112
Credit: Derek White / Stringer / Getty

He also told The Post that he credits the Boys & Girls Club of America for keeping him out of trouble as a kid.

Shaq has three daughters, two sons, and one stepson - Me'arah, 17, Shaqir, 20, Amirah, 21, Shareef, 23, Myles, 26, and Taahirah, 27.

Featured image credit: Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty