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Celebrities Who Own Franchises in 2026
Some celebrities own franchise locations. Others hold equity in the brand, or only lend their name. The difference matters, and the real stories, exits included, teach more about buying a franchise than the headlines do.
Key takeaways
- “Celebrity franchise owner” covers four different deals: owning franchise locations, owning equity, owning the franchisor, and endorsing a product.
- Several famous franchisees have sold or closed locations. Peyton Manning sold 31 Papa John’s stores in 2018, Shaquille O’Neal sold his Auntie Anne’s stores, and Rick Ross’s family companies went from 21 Wingstop restaurants to one.
- A brand’s fame does not protect a single location. Check the FDD and talk to franchisees before you sign.
- For most readers, the real question is whether a franchise, your own business, or your current job is the right move.
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Franchisee, investor, franchisor or endorser: which celebrities actually own franchises?
A franchisee signs a franchise agreement and owns and runs locations. An equity investor owns part of a company or a store partnership. A franchisor owns the brand and sells the franchises. An endorser is paid to promote a product. Most celebrity lists mix all four. This table sorts them, with where each deal stands now.
| Celebrity | Brand | Type of deal | Still owns or sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise owners | |||
| Patrick Mahomes | Whataburger | Part-owner of franchisee KMO Burger | Still owns. KMO took over 16 company restaurants in May 2025 and now runs 29 in Missouri and Kansas (Whataburger) |
| Drew Brees | Jimmy John’s | Franchisee since 2011 | Owned 20 units across Gulf Coast states as of 2023 (Franchise Times) |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Papa John’s | Franchisee, board member and ambassador | Invested in nine Atlanta-area restaurants in 2019. Current count not disclosed (Papa John’s) |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Five Guys | Franchisee | Sold. Papa John’s said in 2019 he had previously owned 27 Five Guys franchises (Papa John’s) |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Auntie Anne’s | Franchisee | Owned up to 17 stores, later sold (Yahoo Finance) |
| Peyton Manning | Papa John’s | Franchisee through a joint venture | Sold his stake in 31 Denver-area stores on Feb. 26, 2018, after six years. Still a spokesperson at the time (CBS News) |
| Rick Ross | Wingstop | Franchisee through family companies | 21 open restaurants at the end of 2016, one by the end of 2025, per state franchise filings (Complex) |
| Equity investors | |||
| LeBron James | Blaze Pizza | Early investor and franchisee, later brand ambassador | The chain ended 2023 with 295 US units, down 2.3% (Restaurant Business) |
| Magic Johnson | Starbucks | 50/50 partner with Starbucks in stores, not a franchise | Sold. Starbucks bought his half in 2010 after the partnership opened more than 100 stores (Nation’s Restaurant News) |
| 50 Cent | Frigo (RevolutionWear) | Equity investor, not a franchise | Took an ownership stake in the underwear company (PR Newswire) |
| Franchisors (they sell the franchises) | |||
| Mark Wahlberg | Wahlburgers | Co-founder of the franchisor | 79 Hy-Vee locations closed in 2025, leaving about 34 restaurants (USA Today) |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Big Chicken | Founder and majority partner of the franchisor | Started franchising in 2021 (Nation’s Restaurant News) |
| Floyd Mayweather | Mayweather Boxing + Fitness | Part-owner of the franchisor (31.45% per a 2023 filing) and brand ambassador | 70 franchises at the 2023 peak. Business Insider could confirm 26 still open in the US in June 2025 (Business Insider) |
| Jimmy Buffett | Margaritaville | Founder of the brand, which licenses its name to partners who run locations | Buffett died on Sept. 1, 2023. The company continues (AP via Seattle Times) |
| Endorsements | |||
| George Foreman | George Foreman Grill | Endorsement, not a franchise | Foreman died on March 21, 2025, at 76 (Reuters) |
Why did Shaquille O’Neal sell his Auntie Anne’s stores?
Shaq became an Auntie Anne’s franchisee in 2007 and owned up to 17 stores. He later sold them. His explanation on a podcast was short: “At first it was a good investment, but them numbers” (Yahoo Finance). He kept investing in franchises. In 2019 he joined the Papa John’s board and invested in nine Atlanta restaurants. Papa John’s also noted he had previously owned 27 Five Guys franchises (Papa John’s). You will see bigger numbers online, such as 155 Five Guys, 40 gyms and 150 car washes. We could not confirm those in a company release or filing, so we use the 27 that Papa John’s published.
Shaq also sits on the other side of the deal. He founded Big Chicken in 2018 as majority partner and began selling franchises in 2021 (Nation’s Restaurant News).
The lesson for a regular buyer: even a famous owner with deep pockets exits when the unit numbers do not work in his markets. Your numbers are the only ones that count.
What happened to Rick Ross’s Wingstop restaurants?
Rick Ross bought his first Wingstop in Memphis in 2011 (Miami Herald). His family’s Boss Wings companies listed 21 open restaurants at the end of 2016. By the end of 2025, state franchise filings showed one, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. In 2021 Ross told Forbes he owned more than 25 Wingstop franchises (Forbes). The filings track Boss Wings only, so that count may include stores held another way. Ross says he moved his money into stocks (Complex). Along the way, his family paid $114,427 for labor violations at five Mississippi locations (CBS News).
The lesson: a franchise is an operating business. Someone has to manage staff, payroll and compliance every day, and a famous name on the ownership papers does not change that.
Are Blaze Pizza and Wahlburgers still growing?
Both have shrunk. Blaze Pizza, the chain LeBron James backed early, ended 2023 with 295 US units, a 2.3% decline (Restaurant Business), and closed more locations in 2025, including in Charlotte (Charlotte Observer). Wahlburgers lost 79 locations in 2025 when Hy-Vee ended its agreement, leaving about 34 restaurants (USA Today).
The lesson: celebrity attention can launch a brand. It does not keep a location open. Unit count trends, closures and transfers are all disclosed in the FDD, and they are worth more than any famous face.
Why did Peyton Manning sell his Papa John’s stores?
Peyton Manning bought into 31 Papa John’s stores along Colorado’s Front Range in 2012, right after he signed with the Broncos. He sold his stake on Feb. 26, 2018, through a joint venture sale to an existing franchisee, days before the NFL dropped Papa John’s as its official pizza (CBS News). Papa John’s called it “six successful and rewarding years.”
The lesson: plan your exit before you buy. Manning sold to an operator already in the system, which is the most common buyer for a franchise.
What happened to Floyd Mayweather’s boxing gyms?
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness is a franchisor, and Mayweather owns 31.45% of its parent company, per a 2023 filing. It had 70 franchises at its 2023 peak. In June 2025 Business Insider could confirm 26 still open in the US, and four franchisees had sued (Business Insider). Mayweather’s lawyer told the company he had not taken part in management or operations. The franchise agreements did not require him to do anything beyond licensing his name.
The lesson: a famous name on the sign is a license, not a promise. Read what the FDD actually obligates the franchisor and the celebrity to do.
What should you check before buying any franchise, famous or not?
The FTC tells buyers to study the Franchise Disclosure Document, talk to current and former franchisees, and get professional advice before signing (FTC, Buying a Franchise: A Consumer Guide). The FDD shows how many locations opened, closed and changed hands. Item 7 shows the initial investment, and Item 19 shows any financial performance claims (FTC Franchise Rule).
One more check from my own calls. Item 7 usually budgets about 3 months of working capital. I tell people to plan for 9 to 12.
What I learned from owning two franchises
I grew and sold my first franchise. After I signed for my second, I found $321K in costs that were omitted from the FDD. No celebrity backing would have caught that. Reading the documents and asking hard questions would have.
That is why I do not push anyone to buy. About 1 in 3 people I work with end up buying a franchise. The rest start their own business or stay in their job, and those are good outcomes too.
Is a franchise right for you, or is something else?
Celebrities can absorb a failed location. Most buyers cannot. Before you look at brands, be clear which of three outcomes you are testing for.
Route 1: Buy a franchise
Fits people who want a proven system and will follow it. The trade-off is fees and rules you do not control.
Route 2: Start your own business
Fits people with a specific idea who want full control. The trade-off is building the playbook yourself.
Route 3: Stay W-2, for now
Fits people whose savings, timing or family plans are not ready. Waiting a year costs less than a bad signing.
Each route has its own checklist. The free Franchise Decision Diagnostic walks you through them, or we can work through it together on a call.
Not sure which route you are on?
Bring your situation to a Clarity Call. I take 8 of these calls a week so I can actually prepare for each one.
“Dan was very helpful and diligent when it came to picking out a franchise that would fit my skillset. He was a strong voice to keep me rooted during all of the excitement because it’s easy to get swept up in potential opportunities by reminding me of the things I actually wanted to gain by going down this route. The systems he has in place work well and sticking by them will lead you to your goal faster than I could have by myself.”
Dan Lorenz, founder of Guerrilla Franchising
Dan has guided 495+ people through the franchise decision. He has been burned by a franchise and has also succeeded with one. He spent 22 years in the Army, 18 of them in Special Forces, and worked as a forensic accountant and strategy consultant at Deloitte. More about Dan.
Frequently asked questions
Which celebrities own franchise locations?
Patrick Mahomes is part-owner of KMO Burger, which runs 29 Whataburger restaurants. Drew Brees owned 20 Jimmy John’s units as of 2023. Shaquille O’Neal invested in nine Papa John’s restaurants in Atlanta in 2019. Rick Ross’s family companies are down to one Wingstop, per state filings.
Did Peyton Manning own Papa John’s franchises?
Yes. He held a stake in 31 Denver-area Papa John’s stores from 2012 and sold it on Feb. 26, 2018.
Is the George Foreman Grill a franchise?
No. It was an endorsement deal for a kitchen product. George Foreman died on March 21, 2025.
Does 50 Cent own a franchise?
His Frigo deal was an ownership stake in an underwear company, not a franchise. Equity in a company and owning franchise locations are different investments.
Does a celebrity owner make a franchise a safer buy?
No. Blaze Pizza, Wahlburgers and Mayweather Boxing + Fitness all shrank despite famous backers. Judge a franchise by its FDD, its unit trends and its current franchisees.
How do I know if a franchise is right for me?
Start with your money, time and risk, not the brand. A franchise, your own business, or staying in your job can each be the right answer.
Sources
- Papa John’s, March 22, 2019: Shaquille O’Neal’s board seat, nine Atlanta restaurants and past Five Guys franchises.
- Yahoo Finance: Shaq on selling his Auntie Anne’s stores.
- Whataburger via PR Newswire, May 14, 2025: KMO Burger, part-owned by Patrick Mahomes, runs 29 restaurants.
- Franchise Times, March 8, 2023: Drew Brees at 20 Jimmy John’s units since 2011.
- CBS News, March 2018: Peyton Manning sold his stake in 31 Papa John’s stores on Feb. 26, 2018.
- Nation’s Restaurant News, October 2010: Starbucks buys Magic Johnson’s half of Urban Coffee Opportunities.
- Nation’s Restaurant News: Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken begins franchising.
- Business Insider, June 2, 2025: Mayweather Boxing + Fitness ownership, closures and lawsuits.
- AP via Seattle Times: Margaritaville after Jimmy Buffett’s death.
- Forbes, June 14, 2021: Rick Ross on owning more than 25 Wingstops.
- Complex: Boss Wings went from 21 Wingstop restaurants to one, per state filings.
- Miami Herald: Rick Ross’s first Wingstop, Memphis, 2011.
- CBS News: $114,427 paid for labor violations at five locations.
- Restaurant Business, June 17, 2024: Blaze Pizza at 295 US units, down 2.3%, with LeBron James as an early investor.
- Charlotte Observer, October 2025: Blaze Pizza closures.
- USA Today, July 22, 2025: Wahlburgers’ 79 Hy-Vee closures and about 34 restaurants left.
- PR Newswire: 50 Cent’s ownership stake in RevolutionWear (Frigo).
- Reuters: George Foreman’s death on March 21, 2025.
- FTC, Buying a Franchise: A Consumer Guide and FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR Part 436.
- About Dan Lorenz: the 495+ people guided and the first and second franchise stories.
Related reading
- How to choose a franchise
- Free franchise consultation: the Clarity Call
- Common mistakes to avoid when buying a franchise
- Franchise vs. starting your own business
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Rather work on it alone first? Get the free Franchise Decision Diagnostic PDF.
We do not guarantee earnings or financial results. Buying a franchise is a business investment that carries risk, including the possible loss of your investment. Review the full FDD and talk to your own attorney, CPA and financial advisor before you sign anything or pay anything.