Shaquille O’Neal Called His Mom Before Making This Major Business Move

Shaquille O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion, a father of six, and a self-described “geek of America.” He’s also, as of last week, part-owner of a three-story tech playground in the middle of Times Square.

On Friday, April 10, tm:rw announced that the Hall of Famer has joined the company as an investor, partner, and global ambassador. The roughly 22,000-square-foot space, which opened in July 2025, houses over 120 brands inside a fully immersive environment featuring everything from Formula 1 driving simulators and advanced robotics to AI-powered holograms. According to a press release, O’Neal will actively shape the company’s future, supporting global expansion, brand strategy, and live experiences.

“I’ve always believed in being early on ideas that can really change how people live and experience the world,” O’Neal said in the announcement. “This isn’t just about tech, tm:rw is building something completely different. It is not just a store, it is an experience.”

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The 54-year-old revealed during a sit-down with Bloomberg Television that the whole thing started by accident. He walked into the store as a customer, spent four hours browsing robots, holograms, and smart glasses, and eventually bumped into CEO Nathalie Bernce without realizing who she was. By the time he left, he had asked to become a partner.

When asked whether younger athletes are following his lead as investors, O’Neal pivoted. “You saw me make a phone call before we started — my beautiful mother,” he said. “This is not really for monetary gains. It’s just remembering that a young single mother worked hard and didn’t really have a lot. To have the opportunity to continue to give her the life she deserves, that’s all I do it for.”

It’s a philosophy that’s clearly worked. According to Entrepreneur, O’Neal reportedly earns over $95 million annually off the court, more than he ever made playing in the NBA. His portfolio includes an early investment in Google, a stake in Ring before Amazon acquired it for $1 billion, and his own restaurant chain, Big Chicken, which has 40 locations with over 350 more in development. He’s also an Emmy-winning analyst on ESPN’s Inside the NBA alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, and just announced he’s launching DUNKMAN this summer, the world’s first professional dunking league, in partnership with TNT Sports.

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Off the court and off the clock, O’Neal has been open about keeping his personal life relatively private since his divorce from Shaunie Henderson was finalized in 2011. The two share four children together, and O’Neal also has a daughter, Taahirah, from a previous relationship and helped raise Shaunie’s son Myles. He joked with Andy Cohen late last year about launching a dating show called The Next Mrs. O’Neal, but for now, it seems like the only new commitment in his life is a massive tech store in Times Square.

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