Shaquille O’Neal has settled with investors who claim losses from the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, according to an April 23 filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The settlement amount remains confidential, with terms expected to be disclosed once investors formally request preliminary court approval, according to court documents.
O’Neal and other celebrities and athletes were accused of promoting FTX and allegedly contributing to investor losses by endorsing the now-bankrupt exchange.
The case is part of a broader multidistrict litigation effort, where investors are seeking up to $21 billion in damages from FTX insiders, advisers and promoters — far exceeding the $9.2 billion available through bankruptcy proceedings.
Other celebrities embroiled in similar legal troubles for their role in FTX include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, billionaire investor Kevin O’Leary, Golden State Warriors, Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz, Naomi Osaka and others.
Notably, FTX investors faced challenges in serving O’Neal with legal papers during the early stages of the lawsuit over his promotion of the collapsed exchange.
Related: FTX former execs and promoters to settle class-action lawsuit for $1.3M
O’Neal finalizes $11 million settlement over Astrals NFT project
The settlement with FTX investors comes as O’Neal recently agreed to pay $11 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit tied to his involvement in the Solana-based Astrals NFT project.
In May 2023, O’Neal was served with the Astral NFT lawsuit during an NBA game at Miami’s Kaseya Center, formerly the FTX Arena. The class-action lawsuit involved his promotion of the Astrals NFT project, alleging that the NFTs promoted by O’Neal were unregistered securities.
In August 2024, a Miami federal court judge ruled that O’Neal would need to defend some of the claims brought against him in the case.
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