NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal wants to add a little Premier League football to his portfolio. According to the Daily Mail, the big man is in talks with West Ham United about taking a potential stake.
The seven-foot-one center attended a home match at London Stadium at the end of last season and instantly fell in love with the Hammers. Shaq has a net worth of $500 million due to savvy investments in various tech companies. On top of that, he reels in $60 million annually post-retirement due to various sponsorship deals and his analyst work for TNT.
Could Shaq become co-owner of a famous London club?
O’Neal is one of the many American sports stars who’ve gotten the English football bug. Two years ago, Lebron James upped his minority stake in Liverpool from the initial 2% investment in 2011 via his ownership in Fenway Sports Group, a Boston-based firm that owns the English club.
Last year, Tom Brady bought a slice of Birmingham City, following in the footsteps of Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds (Wrexham) and the NBA’s Russell Westbrook, a principal Leeds United investor. Former NFL player JJ Watts also became a minority owner of Burnley last season.
West Ham finished 9th in the Premier League last season under David Moyes. The club is currently divided amongst four shareholders, the largest of which is David Sullivan at 38%. Shaq does look good in a claret suit.
Photo: x/westhamviews
