Shaquille O'Neal’s Smart Investment: How Ring Cameras Turned Into a Billion-Dollar Win

I came across this incredible story that shows the mindset we need to cultivate if we want to build wealth.

Shaquille O'Neal, known for his larger-than-life presence both on and off the court, has also made some savvy financial moves that hold valuable lessons for investors at any level. Shaq owns three homes in Atlanta and needed a new security system for one of them. When he reached out to a security company, they quoted him a high price. Now, you might think a multimillionaire like Shaq would just write the check and move on, but he knew the price was unreasonable. Instead of taking the easy way out, Shaq took matters into his own hands—literally.

While browsing at Best Buy, he came across Ring cameras and decided to give one a shot. And here’s the part that stands out: “The crazy thing about it is I hooked it up myself,” Shaq proudly said, embracing his DIY side. The real game-changer came when he was halfway around the world in China and realized how powerful the camera was, the device was streaming live video, which allowed him to not only see what was happening on his property but also talked to someone at his front door from his phone. That’s when it hit him—this wasn't just a security system, it was an opportunity.

Excited by the product’s potential, Shaq did what few of us would think to do. When he was at CES - The Most Powerful Tech event in the world, he spotted the Ring booth, went over to speak to the CEO, and made a bold offer. “Hey, my name is Shaquille O'Neal. I want to invest in your company, and you're going to pay me to do commercials, and then whatever happen, happens.’” The CEO took the deal, and Shaq became one of Ring's early investors.

Fast forward a few years, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos bought Ring for a cool $1 billion. Shaq didn’t just save money by avoiding that $80,000 security system—he made a hefty return on his investment. Although he never disclosed the exact amount, it’s safe to say his decision to bet on an up-and-coming company paid off in a big way.

What can we learn from Shaq? It's simple: investing is about recognizing value, not just price. Even a product that seems small can have massive potential, and sometimes, the best opportunities come when you take the time to do your homework and look beyond the obvious solutions.

Yours Truly,

The Queen Of Africa