Watch out Willy Wonka, Shaq is coming for you. Basketball icon and serial entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal tells Entrepreneur that he has an appetite for creating and supporting all kinds of businesses, and now he’s turned his attention to satisfying the world’s sweet tooth with Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, a new line of oversized gummy candies.
Photo: Courtesy Shaq-A-Licious
Launched in partnership with The Hershey Company, the treats come in two varieties: The Original, which includes peach, berry punch, and orange flavored, and all come shaped like Shaq’s face. And a sour edition, featuring gummies inspired by Shaq’s legendary nicknames Diesel, The Big Cactus, and the Big Shamrock.
We spoke with the self-described “biggest kid in the candy store” to find out the sweet science behind his latest venture.
We’ve spoken with you several times at Entrepreneur because you’ve always got something new going on. How do you decide what’s next for you?
I’m a team-oriented guy. It’s always about the partners. And you can’t go wrong with Hershey’s, you know what I mean? That’s first and foremost. I grew up part of my life in Germany and I had gummies every day. The Coke gummies, the cherry gummies — just every day. I used to have to go to the store for my parents, and my dad would give me some extra change. He’d be like, “Hey, you’re doing good in school. Get yourself some gummies.” So when I decided to come up with my own gummies, I partnered up with Reese’s and went to their lab, consulted with their chemist and came up with this product. So now I tell people, “If you hate Shaq, then bite my face off.”
Did they make an actual mold of your face? Did you have to stick your face in plaster?
I sure did! I had to put my face in some gummy plaster making different faces: a smile, a frown, a straight face. And they copied it.
How did you land on the flavors that were going to be in Shaq-A-Licious?
Do you know how many gummies I had to taste test before we came up with the final product? A million. If you’re a chemist working at a company like Hershey’s, obviously you have what it takes. So if I say no to the first batch, I know you’re going to step your game up. If I say no to the second batch, I know you’re still going to make it better. If I say no in the 10th batch? Now I know you’re pissed off. But they nailed it.
So they’re matching the flavor to your fun personality. What kind of flavor would cook up to match Charles Barkley’s persona?
Licorice mixed with mustard and pickle juice.
What’s on your Mt. Rushmore of candies?
Reese’s Pieces. Twizzlers — I mean, anything Hershey’s. I’ve been a Hershey kid all my life. I’m a creature of habit. I don’t switch up. All the stuff that I’m eating now is the same stuff I’ve been doing since the ’70s.
Are you now allowed to cut the lines at Hershey Park?
I will never cut the lines. I will never do that to a child. Uh, but I think I could make a couple of phone calls and go behind the back. I won’t cut your line, but if I can get into the back, I’ll do that.
Who are the entrepreneurs you admire?
The Walmart family, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Robert F. Smith, John C. Maxwell. I look at all the leaders and all the business guys and just see what they’re doing and I use jealousy as motivation. I’ve always been like that even as a kid. My father was a drill sergeant. That was his tactic. “Look at this guy over here with all the girls. They don’t even know your name.” So I’d say, “They don’t know my name? Watch this.” So I’m looking at Jeff Bezos and Musk and all these factories and all these cars, and I want some Shaq factories! So, I’ll just throw that idea out there and then just try to work towards it.
Related: Shaquille O’Neal Reveals His 3 Secrets to Success
Are you going to get Shaq-A-Licious to be in-flight snacks for Bezos’s rockets?
I might have to do that. That’s a great idea!
Any parting of words of advice for people hoping to become entrepreneurs?
Before you succeed, you must first learn to fail. So after you fail, that program you had, delete it, write a new one and see how that goes.
And any Super Bowl predictions with the NFL season just starting?
Cowboys. What do you mean what’s my prediction? I say Cowboys every year.
And every year you’re wrong.
I know, just tell me about it.
Related: A Breakdown of Shaquille O’Neal’s Franchise Ventures
