{
  "id": 15173986,
  "title": "Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq’s on his 5th college degree—and tells Gen Z that AI can’t replace sitting across people smarter than you",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/despite-a-500-million-net-worth-shaqs-on-his-5th-college-degree-and",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-17T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/17/shaquille-oneal-shaq-working-on-fifth-degree-sacramento-state-lifelong-learning-gen-z-advice-ai-era/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shaq O'Neal, the former NBA star and current billionaire, has completed his fifth college degree at the age of 54. Despite his $500 million net worth, O'Neal remains a lifelong learner, emphasizing the importance of education. He holds a bachelor's, MBA, Ed.D., and master's degree in liberal arts from LSU, and he is currently pursuing a master's in criminology at Sacramento State University. O'Neal's mother instilled in him the value of education, and he continues to challenge himself with new knowledge. O'Neal encourages Gen Z to \"show up\" and embrace real-world experiences, as AI cannot replace the value of face-to-face interactions with more knowledgeable individuals. He has also worked with various police departments and became an honorary FBI special agent. O'Neal sees college as a valuable opportunity to learn broader lessons beyond textbooks, such as discipline and working with diverse groups. Shaq's story is not unique; other successful individuals like Stephen Curry and Oprah Winfrey have returned to college to achieve their goals.",
  "summary": "Shaquille O’Neal promised his mom he’d finish college when he left for the NBA in 1992. Now, the basketball legend has a bachelor’s, an MBA, an Ed.D., and a master’s.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}