{
  "id": 15575129,
  "title": "‘I’ve never had a real job’: Shaq talks building his brand through ads, and says he hates ‘wealthy athletes’ who show off. It ‘makes me sick’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/ive-never-had-a-real-job-shaq-talks-building-his-brand-through-ads",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-19T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/19/shaq-ads-personal-brand-wealth/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shaq, the 7-foot-1-inch basketball legend known as \"Big Aristotle,\" has built his fortune through ads and endorsements, amassing over $100 million from various companies. Despite his financial success, Shaq admits he has never had a \"real job,\" stating, \"I really respect people such as you guys who have to do real jobs. I've never had a real job.\" Shaquille O'Neal's brand was first developed by agent Leonard Armato during their college years. Armato taught Shaq the importance of owning his own name and logo, which led to the creation of the Reebok Dunkman logo. Despite Nike's offer to own Michael Jordan's Jumpman logo, O'Neal insisted on keeping control of his own. Shaq has only endorsed products he believes in, such as The General car insurance, and avoids endorsements for brands he doesn't use, like Wheaties. He has also learned to use social media responsibly, focusing on humor, inspiration, and promoting his brand. Armato has played a crucial role in guiding Shaq's business decisions, including advising him to return expensive cars he bought as a young player.",
  "summary": "The NBA legend explains how his endorsements built his brand and why he turned down Wheaties because he doesn't endorse what he doesn't believe in.",
  "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."
}