There's a certain type of legend who ends up on the Wheaties box. Lou Gehrig did it. Michael Jordan did it. Serena Williams did it. The orange box is more than just cereal—it's a Hall of Fame induction via breakfast aisle.
Shaquille O'Neal? He passed.
In a 2019 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Shaq shared the story—and no, it wasn't a case of schedule conflicts or contract drama. "No disrespect," he said, "but after my first championship, Wheaties, my people say, ‘Hey man, why don't you be on the cover of Wheaties?' I said, ‘I can't do that.'"
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The reason? Straight from the source: "Don't know what it tastes like. Never going to taste it."
That wasn't shade. That was strategy.
For Shaq, business has always been personal. If he doesn't believe in it, he won't touch it. If it doesn't work, it's out. That's how he ended up selling his Auntie Anne's franchises, famously saying, "Black people don't like pretzels that much."
It's also why he never got involved with Starbucks. Coffee just wasn't a thing in his family, although he did tell CNBC in 2019, "My biggest mistake was not investing in Starbucks."
"I can't lie to the people," he told the Journal. If it's not something he actually uses, eats, drinks, or understands—it's a no.
So when Wheaties called? He didn't even fake the pitch.
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"Frosted Flakes going to always be my first option," Shaq said. "If you want to talk cereal business with me, get me Froot Loops. Then Fruity Pebbles. Period. There ain't nothing to talk about."
He doesn't just throw those lines around. Behind the humor is a filter that's built him a franchise empire. Shaq has backed brands like Krispy Kreme, Papa John's, 24 Hour Fitness, and Five Guys—things he actually consumes, frequents, or grew up with.
In that same Wall Street Journal interview, he was asked about his first big investment. His answer? Google. Not because he understood the internet revolution—at least not at first—but because he overheard a conversation at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
"These two gentlemen [were] talking about Google search engines," he said. "And one day your phone's going to be this and you type anything and it comes up."
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Shaq leaned in, asked questions, and said, "I would like to invest in this." His guy handled the paperwork. Shaq forgot all about it—until he read the article about the early investors who hit big.
"When you look at the perfect pictures," he said, "it looks like I'm at home saying ‘do this, do that.' It ain't. It's just being in the right place at the right time."
But even being in the right place isn't enough if the pitch doesn't pass the gut check. "If something comes across my desk and I don't believe in it, won't even look at it at all," Shaq said. "So it's just a gut feeling."
That gut feeling has kept him out of businesses that didn't feel authentic. No to Wheaties. No to coffee. No to pretzels.
Because when it comes to business, Shaq doesn't just bet on the hottest trend. He bets on what's real to him—even if that means Froot Loops over Wheaties. Every time.
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