It was a night packed with energy and celebrity at UFC 314, where Shaquille O’Neal showed up in style alongside Dana White, Joe Rogan, Dave Portnoy, and even President Donald Trump. But while the cameras caught the smiles and handshakes, an off-camera exchange between Shaq and Portnoy may have revealed something a bit more serious.
According to Portnoy, the conversation took a turn toward money-specifically losses in the stock market.“Shaq was like, ‘You didn’t really lose 7 million in the stock market, did you?'”Portnoy recounted. “And I was thinking… he’s probably lost way more than I did.”
That brief remark has now fueled speculation that the Lakers legend may have taken a hit amid the ongoing economic shake-up driven by skyrocketing tariffs. With the U.S. imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, over $6 trillion in market value vanished in just two days, according to CNBC.
Did Shaq’s big-name investments just take a big-time hit?
O’Neal has long been known for smart investments in tech giants like Apple and Google. But with Apple dropping 8.8%-largely due to its heavy China manufacturing base-he may be feeling that dip personally. The sportswear sector isn’t helping either. Lululemon is down 10%, and Nike-leader of the pack-is down 12%. That spells trouble for Reebok, where Shaq is President of Basketball.
Then there’s JCPenney. As a key player in Authentic Brands Group, Shaq has a stake in the struggling retail giant, which recently announced more store closures despite years of attempted recovery.
While Shaq’s public image is as strong as ever, the financial undercurrent tells a more complicated story. And if Portnoy’s instincts are right, the Big Diesel may be quietly riding out a serious market slump.
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