Rise to Fame
The Orlando Magic took him first overall in 1992. By February of his rookie year, he was starting the All-Star Game, the first rookie to do that since Michael Jordan in 1985. He averaged 23.4 points and won Rookie of the Year, then led the league in scoring at 29.3 per game in his third season. The championships came in L.A. Three in a row with Kobe Bryant, 2000 to 2002, Finals MVP each time. The dynasty ended messily, but those three rings were the receipt.
In the Spotlight
His NBA salary peaked around $28 million a year. His post-basketball ventures reportedly pull in closer to $95 million annually. He bought into Google when it was still a startup in 1999, got a stake in Ring before Amazon acquired it for over $1 billion, and launched Big Chicken, a fast-casual chain expanding across the country. There's also the car washes, the fitness gyms, the former 155-location Five Guys stake. He's an investor first now, a TV personality second, and whatever he was on the court is just the brand that funds all of it.
Side Notes
At 14, he saved $200 from cutting grass and walking dogs to buy his first turntables at a pawn shop. His 1993 rap album Shaq Diesel sold over a million copies, and he released three more after that. After retiring in 2011, he crashed TomorrowWorld in 2014 and discovered EDM. He's been performing as DJ Diesel in bass music and dubstep circuits ever since. He's said the DJ booth gives him the same rush as playing. Most retired athletes get a broadcasting gig. He got a second career in the mosh pit.