Shaquille O’Neal is joining the Papa John’s board of directors, becoming the first African-American member on the board months after its founder resigned following his use of a racial slur.
The NBA Hall of Famer will be a “triple threat,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” after the announcement Friday morning. Along with joining the board of directors he will also invest in nine Papa John’s franchise spots in Atlanta and become an ambassador.
“Everyone loves pizza and pizza loves everyone,” O’Neal said.
“Pizza is fun,” he continued. “Everyone knows Shaquille O’Neal, they know I’m in the fun business, and we want to get this thing back on track.”
O’Neal owns various restaurants already: a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchise in Atlanta, Big Chicken fast casual fried chicken in Las Vegas and Shaquille’s restaurant in Los Angeles. He previously owned 27 Five Guys franchises.
It’s his first time as a board member for a public company. Papa John’s will pay him $8.25 million over three years, per CNN Business.