The Former NBA Star Who Once Owned 10 Percent Of Five Guys Restaurants

Known for their offerings of American fast food, from juicy cheeseburgers hot off the grill to crispy fries overflowing out of the cup, Five Guys has a lot of fans, and for good reason. The chain has been given the title of best burger brand twice in a row in 2017 and 2018 according to an EquiTrend study, via Yahoo Finance, and boasts a long list of accolades that cover the interior of each of its restaurants. Not only is the chain loved by customers, but by employees too, with Forbes naming the chain on its best large employers list in 2021, per Five Guys. 

While many people are clearly partial to the tastes and smells of Five Guys, there is one former NBA star that knocks the rest of us out of the park. He loved it so much that he owned 10% of all Five Guys restaurants for a time. That's a whole lot of burgers, but he's not the only professional athlete that has made a big splash in the restaurant business.

More than a few professional athletes have found themselves entangled in the restaurant business. According to CNBC, it's actually far from uncommon for celebrities to dip their hand into other industries.

Peyton Manning once owned 21 Papa John's locations in Colorado, per CNBC, and 31 around the U.S., per The Sports Rush. Eventually, Manning did decide to sell the restaurants he owned in 2018 amid controversy with the NFL, but his time with the chain lasted for a few years. According to ESPN, another professional athlete embroiled in the world of restaurants is Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose. Rose bought some stake in the Chicago pizza company Giordano's in 2012. Allegedly the deep dish chain was looking to expand when they learned Rose was a fan, and the rest is history. Some professional players have taken their love for restaurants to a whole new level and have even created some of their own. Just look at Michael Jordan and his lineup of steakhouses, per Michael Jordan's Steak House. While the first opened up in Chicago, the basketball star now also has locations in Connecticut and Washington. 

But there's one unexpected former NBA star who once owned 10% of all Five Guys restaurants. 

The last time you were sitting in a Five Guys restaurant, did you ever wonder if Shaquille O'Neal owned it? That's right, according to El Pais, O'Neal once owned 155 Five Guys restaurants or 10% of the entire franchise for a time. The star started by purchasing a location in Atlanta in 2008, and the partnership blossomed from there, per VettedBiz. Per CNBC, the star eventually sold the restaurants he owned but ended on good terms with the company. 

While the NBA star once had a lot of stock in Five Guys, it's far from the only thing the star has ever invested in. According to NBC Sports, the basketball legend has a net worth of over $400 million, and a lot of it is due to his savvy investments. O'Neal also has stock in other popular eateries such as Auntie Annie's Pretzels and Papa John's too, per CNN, not to mention 150 car washes and 40 fitness centers. As Shaq shared with the world, his secret is that he only invests in things that he personally likes, per HBO's Real Sports.