Money talks, but who’s really winning?
For public personalities, in particular, the social media environment may be dangerous. A single error may generate a wave of unfavorable attention and potentially the suspension of an account.
That’s precisely what happened to Kanye West when he joined Twitter again after a two-year absence and sent out contentious posts that led to his suspension. The drama, however, didn’t end there. Shaquille O’Neal soon became involved, and the two got into a public argument over financial worth and expertise in the business.
You may recall that on October 20, 2022, Kanye tweeted that he was planning to “death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE,” which caused his suspension the following day. In November of the same year, he returned to Twitter and started criticizing particular business figures, such as music manager Scooter Braun and his ex-wife Yael Cohen Braun.
Meanwhile, on November 3, the Brooklyn Nets placed Kyrie Irving on indefinite leave after refusing to retract a link he had posted to an Amazon Prime movie that featured a variety of antisemitic stereotypes and fabrications. On his TNT NBA broadcast the evening before Irving was suspended, Shaquille O’Neal called him an “idiot” and insulted him.
In reaction to Shaq’s remarks, the rapper shared a picture of Jamie Salter, Shaq’s business partner, on Twitter and claimed that Salter was not in complete charge of Shaq’s company. Shaq immediately responded to Kanye’s tweet, claiming he’s wealthier than him, advising him to concentrate on keeping his family business in order.
Believe me you don’t know me like that. Worry about your business, and to quote the once great Kanye west “ I got more money than you, so why would i listen to you” take my advice get your family business in order. Have a great day brother.
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) November 4, 2022
The former professional basketball player tweeted, “Believe me you don’t know me like that. Worry about your business, and to quote the once great Kanye west “I got more money than you, so why would i listen to you” take my advice get your family business in order. Have a great day brother.”
Shaquille O’Neal has a net worth of $400 million, whereas Kanye West has a net worth of $1 billion, according to a “Compare and Share” tool by Celebrity Net Worth, which helped compare the difference between their wealth. But as per a prior estimate by Forbes, Kanye has a net worth of $400 million, which would put him on pace with Shaq.
With that, even if Shaq’s assessment of the disparity in their wealth was inaccurate, his remarks draw attention to the current issue surrounding Kanye West and the scrutiny he endures for his conduct on social media. It’s also possible that Shaq’s prediction may come true shortly, considering Kanye’s current conduct and professional difficulties.