Part sporting event, part soap opera, professional wrestling is all entertainment. And while professional wrestlers don’t get paid as much as professional football or baseball players, they still have more money than most of us could ever dream of. The most popular wrestlers in the world have lucrative endorsement deals that really allow them to make the big bucks and several wrestlers have even made a signifiant amount of their money in movies.
The richest WWE wrestlers are almost as well known for their lavish lifestyles outside the ring as they are for their antics in the ring. If you want to know more about those lavish lifestyles and the riches that fund them, just keep reading.
Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon is the richest WWE wrestler by a wide margin. With a net worth of $1.6 billion, it’s easy to see why. Of course, he didn’t make all that money just from wrestling.
He started working for his father’s regional wrestling promotion company, the WWWF. He wanted to be a wrestler, but his father wouldn’t allow it. So, instead, he worked for him as a commentator. He also created the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. He eventually bought the company from his father, where he got a chance to shine.
Vince McMahon turned the organization, renamed the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and eventually the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), into a national wrestling promotion company, and soon into an international phenomenon. Finally, he also started performing as a wrestler, fulfilling his lifelong dream.
Today, Vince McMahon lives in a $40 million mansion in Connecticut when he is not spending time in his $12 million penthouse in Manhattan. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was among the most popular professional wrestlers before retiring. His trash-talking, in-your-face attitude always got the sparks flying in the ring and kept fans’ eyes glued to their sets. Dwayne Johnson made a significant amount money with his endorsements, which is a big part of why he is now one of the richest wrestlers.
What really made this WWE champion famous was his decision to switch to a career as an actor. He landed a small role in the second Mummy movie and then starred in smash hits like The Scorpion King and Jumanji. Today, Dwyane Johnson is worth $400 million. And, given that he was named the highest-paid actor in the world in 2020, he may eventually be worth enough to surpass even Vince McMahon.
Today, he owns homes on both coasts and a farm and has used his money to benefit many charities.
Triple H
Hunter Hearst Helmsley, better known as Triple H, won many titles in wrestling career, including the World Heavyweight Championship. He became one of the most well-known wrestlers in the world in the process, helping him become one of the most highly paid wrestlers.
However, this is not why he’s worth 150 million dollars. This WWE wrestler is worth such a significant amount because he decided to leave performing behind and move into management. As the WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, he earns nearly $3 million a year. On top of that, he also earns money from NXT, the company he founded that helps up-and-coming wrestling talent.
He’s also married to the wrestler tied with him for the title of “third richest wrestler of all time.”
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon is the daughter of Vince McMahon, the wife of Triple H, and the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. She has served both as a wrestling valet and a professional wrestler in her own right and owns a small percentage of the WWE.
Her contributions to the wrestling world go far beyond the ring, though. Stephanie McMahon was the primary force behind turning the women’s division of the WWE into the powerhouse it is today. So vast was her influence that Forbes named her the second most influential CMO in the world.
Her various roles in the WWE have earned her a $150 million net worth.
John Cena
Like Dwayne Johnson, John Cena is both a professional wrestler and an actor. He began his acting career shortly after his wrestling career, and he was doing both at once for a time. John Cena is widely considered to be one of the best professional wrestlers of all time, and he won the WWE Championship more than anyone else.
It wasn’t his wrestling career that made him so wealthy, though. His acting career did that. From early successes like The Marine to more modern hits like Fast and Furious 9, Cena has done very well for himself in Hollywood. His combined earnings from both careers total $60 million.
Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin is a wrestling legend. His outsized personality helped usher in the Attitude Era, which made the WWE a household name. Many people say he is the most outstanding professional wrestler ever.
The WWE made this American professional wrestler a lot of money, but his earnings from merch sales and endorsements earned him even more, which is why he’s now worth $30 million. He’s also had a few roles in TV shows and movies like The Longest Yard.
Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan is quite possibly the most famous wrestler who ever lived. Even today, long after he stepped out of the ring for the last time, he is still pretty famous. This Hulk-a-mania results from his entertaining trash talking, incredible charisma, and incredible mic skills. Oh, and his considerable wrestling talents didn’t hurt, either. He’s also well-known for his roles in films like Rocky III and his appearances on reality TV shows.
However, Hogan nearly wasn’t on this list at all. After a difficult divorce, he lost almost everything to his ex-wife. He was on the verge of bankruptcy for a while there. However, he managed to make a financial comeback, and today is worth $25 million, still one of the world’s richest wrestlers.
Kurt Angle
As a former Olympic gold medal winner, Kurt Angle had the right athletic abilities to shine in the wrestling ring. He worked in both the WCW and the WWE.
While he was in the WWE, Angle hit the height of his fame. He was such a famous wrestler that he made more than $1 million a month. After he retired from wrestling, he went to work for the WWE as a producer, where he still pulls in a more-than-respectable $350,000 a month. It’s no wonder he, like Hulk Hogan, this retired professional wrestler, is now worth $25 million.
Stacy Keibler
The third member of the “$25 million Wrestler Club” is Stacy Keibler. She wrestled for the WCW and the WWE, where she played a very popular role as a villain. She’s also been a cheerleader, model, dancer, and actress.
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho was an incredibly popular wrestler with the WWE, earning a truly impressive 1 million dollar per month there. When he moved over to the AEW, he was also among the most highly paid wrestlers there.
He has proven to be just as talented outside the ring as in it. A large part of his $18 million fortune comes from his earnings as a writer. He’s written three New York Times bestsellers.
Close but No Cigar
You may be wondering about the absence of Big Show and Mick Foley, two of professional wrestling’s most popular wrestlers. Big Show and Mick Foley almost made the list, but they came up just a bit short. Big Show is worth $16 million and Mick Foley is worth just about $14 million. Both impressive, but not quite enough to make them one of the richest WWE wrestlers of all time.
