According to basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, his worst investment was his so-called Franken-Ferrari.
The former Lakers star recalled the story during a podcast produced by BeatBox Beverages— a ready-to-drink cocktail brand known for high-alcohol fruit punches and lemonades—which he’s invested in and partnered with to launch his own signature flavor, Blueberry Lemonade.
He bought two Ferraris, merged them into a stretched-out luxury car, and even removed the roof just to make it fit his 7-foot, 320-pound frame.
In a clip published on July 8, Shaq joked about the wild customization project that ended up flooding during a Florida rainstorm.
“Worst purchase would be, I bought two Ferraris. I bought a real Ferrari. I bought a salvage Ferrari. Cut my real Ferrari in half. Took pieces of the salvage Ferrari to stretch it, and then realized I couldn’t fit,” Shaq said. “And then we had to take the top off permanently, which gave me about five more inches.”
“It worked out good … until I didn’t read the weather report … on the way back, it started raining, and the whole car got flooded out,” he added.
According to EssentiallySports, the Ferraris were a silver Ferrari F355 and a red 360 Modena, the latter reportedly used as the salvage model. Supercar Blondie also identified the 360 Modena as the donor car used for parts to stretch the original Ferrari. Meanwhile, Autoblog and other outlets referred simply to one “real Ferrari” and one “salvage Ferrari,” without confirming the exact models.
If EssentiallySports’ reporting is accurate, Shaq’s Franken-Ferrari likely cost him roughly $350,000 in total, with the silver Ferrari F355 priced between $130,000 and $150,000 and the red 360 Modena between $140,000 and $160,000.
There’s no clear way to pinpoint when Shaq modified the Franken-Ferrari or when it met its watery demise. A subtle clue is that it was flooded in Florida, suggesting it may have occurred while he was playing for either the Miami Heat or the Orlando Magic. Shaq was driving the modified Ferrari from Fort Lauderdale to Miami when it flooded, so it likely took place during his tenure with one of these teams, but nailing down the precise date would require asking the four-time NBA champion himself.
As Finurah previously reported, Shaq has a net worth exceeding $500 million, thanks to his extensive business ventures and brand partnerships. He serves as the face of numerous commercial brands, including Pepsi, Icy Hot, The General Insurance, Wheaties, and Vitamin Water.
Additionally, he is the current president of basketball footwear at Reebok, a role he took on to help revitalize the brand’s basketball division, according to The Los Angeles Times.
His popular Reebok Shaq Attaq sneakers from the 1990s remain highly sought after by sneaker enthusiasts.
Shaq’s investment in BeatBox Beverages, which first debuted publicly on “Shark Tank” in 2014, could also help grow his fortune.
BeatBox’s TetraPak carton packaging, with colorful, cartoon-style designs, helps it stand out on shelves. Shaq described the ready-to-drink cocktail brand as having a “spirit of fun and boldness.”
Beyond basketball and business, Shaq also moonlights as a DJ, a pursuit he embraced during and after his NBA and TV hosting careers. He also sells Hershey-branded Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, oversized candies shaped like his head.
