Shaquille O’Neal was feeling generous when out on a date earlier this week. Not only did he leave a generous tip for the staff, but he covered the entire restaurant’s bill, which came to over $25,000.
According to Page Six, the NBA legend was eating out with an unidentified woman at Jue Lan Club in New York City around 8:30 p.m. Sources claims that Shaq described the woman as “my date. The pair proceeded to order “Beijing chicken, shrimp tempura and the restaurant’s signature chicken satay” for their table.
When it came time to pay their bill, the basketball star offered to cover the tab of everyone dining in the restaurant – over 40 tables. He asked the staff not to publicize is kind gesture until after he’d left.
Shaq didn’t forget about the staff either. The insider told Page Six that the was “extremely generous” towards the waiters and “left them the biggest tip they’ve ever received.”
This isn’t the first time Shaq had tipped generously. In March 2017, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and revealed he once tipped $4,000 simply because the server had asked for the amount.
“When I’m at restaurants, I like to show people my appreciation. So when they come up to the table, I say, 'The quicker I get my order, the bigger your tip will be,” the former pro athelete explained.
“And then the food will come fast. When we get ready to leave, I’ll ask them, 'What do you want?' And the most someone said was $4,000. And I said, 'OK. No problem,” he continued.
Shaq joins a number of high-profile celebrities who’ve made headlines for their generous tipping.
Chrissy Teigen once gave a 516% tip on a bill, totalling over $1,000. Harry Styles left a $2,000 tip after a meal while on vacation with Adele and James Corden. Model Naomi Campbell left a tip worth $7,000 USD while out for drinks and dancing with Cameron Diaz. Perhaps the biggest celebrity tip was left by Jay-Z, who tipped $50,000 on a huge bill in which he spent $250,000 on champagne alone.
The identity of the mystery woman Shaq was dining with remains unknown. He was last linked to actress Annie Ilonzeh in 2021.
Sources: Page Six, Bleacher Reports, Insider, Slice,