You know that basketball legend who's worth half a billion now? Shaq just dropped a confession that'll make you cringe.

Turns out the big guy nearly torched his entire fortune before he even got started. Picture this: a 19-year-old kid suddenly drowning in NBA money, zero financial literacy, surrounded by smooth-talking "advisors" pushing whatever scheme paid them the fattest commission.

For seven straight years—from teenager to his mid-twenties—he threw cash at every pitch that promised quick money. No questions asked. No research. Didn't even glance at the paperwork. Just signed wherever they pointed.

The man admits he skipped due diligence entirely during those years. Every flashy opportunity that crossed his desk? "Sure, here's my money." Real estate deals he never visited. Companies he never understood. Investments he couldn't explain if his life depended on it.

Lucky for him, basketball paychecks kept rolling in fat enough to absorb the damage. But imagine how much he burned through before figuring out that "trust but verify" thing actually matters.

The lesson? Doesn't matter if you're pulling seven figures or just starting out—throwing money at something because someone with a nice suit says it's a winner is how fortunes disappear. Even when you're Shaq-sized, that approach will flatten your wallet faster than a defensive collapse in the fourth quarter.