NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal made an appearance on "The Ellen Show" yesterday where he revealed how he became an early investor in Google thanks to his brief stint as an impromptu babysitter.
According to Shaq, when he first got to Los Angeles around 1993 or 1994, he was at a Four Seasons Hotel playing with another guest's children sitting at the next table. That's when The Diesel was offered the chance to invest in Google pre-IPO, which resulted in a massive pay day a few years later.
"I'm actually babysitting the guy's kids while he's in a meeting," Shaq tells Ellen. "So after the meeting, he says, 'You know what? You're good with kids, I like you, I'm going to bring you in on this investment.' And it was called Google. He said, 'You know, in the future, you're going to be able to type on your phone, search engine this, do this, boom, boom, boom, you should invest.'
Shaq has made a number of profitable financial moves since then, including investments in Apple, 24 Hour Fitness, Five Guys and nightclubs in Las Vegas, according to CNBC. Additionally, O'Neal has also partnered with Krispy Kreme and hopes to one day own 100 stores.
Despite all of his lucrative business ventures, Shaq tells Ellen that his six kids won't be touching any of his money until they have two degrees.
"My most famous rule is, in order to touch any of my cheese, you have to present me two degrees," he says.
"Cheese means money. So, their father's very successful. So as a father, I'm not going to give them handouts. They have to get a bachelor's and a master's," O'Neal adds.
Check out the footage of Shaq's appearance on "The Ellen Show," below.
