10 Richest Stars To Ever Step Into The WWE Ring
Multimillion Paychecks Rain Both Inside And Outside The Ring For These Stars
It's been months since two of the biggest combat live events and broadcast promoters, the UFC and the WWE, merged into one company, TKO. While the two continue to operate as separate entities, there is a possibility of occasional crossovers in the future. However, the biggest highlight of the merger was the $12.1 billion valuation of UFC and the $9.3 billion valuation of the WWE, as per ESPN. With that kind of money involved, it is natural for fans to wonder how much rich the stars of the WWE are. Here’s a look at the 10 richest WWE wrestlers.
1. Vince McMahon: $2.6 billion
The former owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment company, Vince McMahon is the richest star to ever step in the ring. Now the executive chairman of TKO Holdings, McMahon has a net worth of $2.6 billion, per Forbes. He bought a small wrestling company in 1982 and turned it into World Wrestling Federation (WWF) giving birth to stars like Andre The Giant. Soon it became WWE, featuring a roster of stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, The Big Show, and his son-in-law, Triple H among others.
2. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: $800 million
Professional wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson comes second on the list with a whopping net worth of $800 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. He may soon become a billionaire thanks to the entrepreneurial venture ‘Teremana’. He is currently one of the world's highest-paid actors earning multimillion paychecks for movies like "Black Adam" and "Red Notice." As per reports, on average, Johnson commands a salary of more than $20 million per movie.
3. Triple H (Hunter Hearst Helmsley): $250 Million
Professional wrestler and actor Hunter Hearst Helmsley, aka Triple H, has a net worth of $250 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. This is a combined estimation with his wife and WWE heiress Stephanie McMahon. Apart from being a WWE star, Triple H has served as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative at WWE since 2013. He is also the founder of NXT, a branch of WWE. After the merger, Triple H's role in WWE has remained unchanged.
4. John Cena: $80 million
Professional wrestler, bodybuilder, rapper and actor John Cena is fourth on the list with a net worth of $80 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Starting his wrestling career in 2000, Cena went on to become one of the highest-paid wrestlers at one point. In 2016, he reportedly earned $5 million from the WWE. His start in Hollywood was aided by WWE Studios in the film “The Marine”. Cena went on to star in several films such as “Trainwreck”, “Fast 9”, “Suicide Squad” and the DC series “Peacemaker”.
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin: $30 million
After he retired from the ring in 2003, Stone Cold Steve Austin continued his association with the WWE, amassing a net worth of $30 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. With the WWE, he won six world championships and three Royal Rumbles among other titles. He has served as a co-general manager and sheriff on their show “Raw” and starred in films such as “The Longest Yard”, “The Expendables” and “The Condemned”. On TV, he hosted reality shows from 2012 to 2017.
6. Hulk Hogan: $25 Million
Actor, wrestler and reality television star Hulk Hogan commands an impressive net worth of $25 million. As per Celebrity Net Worth, his fortune could’ve been higher if not for the loss of tens of millions in his divorce settlement. He had also reportedly admitted to blowing hundreds of millions on an extremely lavish lifestyle. Hogan was at the peak of his career in the 1990s, earning up to $1 million to appear at Wrestlemania V and VI. He also gained global fame for his signature look and mannerisms.
7. Brock Lesner: $25 Million
Professional wrestler and former Mixed Martial Artist Brock Lesner is one of the toughest and one of the richest fighters with a net worth of $25 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Lesner has experienced success in both professional football, the WWE, and the UFC, where he became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and brought in some of UFC’s most commercially successful pay-per-view events. With the WWE, he won the world championships eight times and was also the youngest champion in the title's history.
8. Chris Jericho: $18 Million
Canadian-American professional wrestler and musician Chris Jericho ranks eighth on the list with an impressive net worth of $18 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Jericho, who became famous in the WWE for his exaggerated rock star persona in the ring, eventually lived up to it after his retirement becoming a rockstar on the stage. In his wrestling career, he worked with several organizations including Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling, which led to his debut in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999. Jericho has won six world champions and has held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times.
9. The Undertaker: $17 Million
One of the most popular WWE stars, the now-retired wrestler, The Undertaker, or Mark William Calaway, commands a net worth of $17 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He has been a professional wrestler since 1984, and he joined the WWE in 1990. In the WWE, Calaway has held 17 championships and he is a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time WWF World Tag Team Champion, and a one-time WWF Hardcore Champion.
10. Big Show: $16 Million
Known for his grand stature, The Big Show or Paul Donald Wight II commands an impressive net worth of $16 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Rounding up the list, "The Giant" was promoted as the son of Andre the Giant in the WWE. Over the course of his long career, he has played both the roles of hero and villain and he is the only wrestler to have won all the major titles, which include the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.