Which WWE Stars Have The Highest Net Worths?
WWE Wrestlers don't have it easy. Even though some may criticize the "sports entertainment" venture as being "fake," a lot of the actions, while choreographed, take a lot of mental and physical strength to accomplish — not to mention needing a high tolerance for pain!
Wrestlers come and go within the organization, but if you play your cards right you can use the WWE to be a star. Some wrestlers become movie stars while others start their own businesses that can land them a pretty penny. Here are the net worths of some of the richest WWE stars of all time — some of them are so rich you might consider a different career!
Brock Lesnar Is Worth Over $22 Million
Brock Lesnar has definitely earned his keep within the WWE. Besides having a body that is just simply shaped like a gladiator, he's also a proven talent within the company. He climbed the ladder very quickly, defeating the Rock to become the youngest WWE Champion at the tender age of 25.
Lesnar has pursued other ventures, including pro football and the UFC. Those didn't take the star quite as far as he had hoped, and so in 2008 he returned to the WWE. He now earns $5.5 million from the company yearly.
Mark Calaway AKA The Undertaker Is Worth $17 Million
Mark Calaway is the second-highest pay-per-view wrestler in the WWE. That name probably doesn't ring a bell in your mind, but when we tell you his stage name, it will: the Undertaker.
Calaway has been wrestling for a long time, and it's his primary source of income. He became a WWE wrestler in 1990, and had an impressive 21-0 streak at Wrestlemania, until Brock Lesnar broke it. In 2017, Calaway seemingly retired, but he still wrestles as the Undertaker once in a while. Besides wrestling, Calaway also has a number of real estate ventures. He's purportedly worth around $17 million.
Hulkamania Netted Him A Pretty Penny
You can't have a list of wealthiest wrestlers without bringing up the most iconic one of all-time, Hulk Hogan. He was essentially the poster-boy for wrestling in the WWE during the 1980s and early 1990s. When he jumped ship to WCW, he became Hollywood Hogan, and led most of the main storylines there as well.
Returning to the WWE, Hogan made $13 million alone wrestling from 1996 to 2000. He's been in movies, on reality TV shows, and had once even considered running for president. In 2016, he won a defamation lawsuit, where he was awarded $115 million.
Big Show Has A Gentle Giant Salary
Paul Wight is another name you might not know of unless you're a die-hard fan of wrestling. The man known as The Big Show, however, is worth a big sum of money, too — around $20 million, to be exact.
Wight started out in WCW under the name "the Giant" until he made the switch to WWE in 1999. There, he exploded on the scene, often being involved in groups that were antagonistic to the "faces" of the industry. A formidable and towering presence, while it was rare, his size sometimes resulted in him breaking the ring itself! In addition to wrestling, Wight has had bit parts on a number of television programs, including USA's Royal Pains.
John Cena Can Thank His Movie Career For His Millions
"You can't see me!" might be the catch-phrase of WWE wrestler John Cena, but it's not the standard by which this popular contender lives by. This fan favorite can be "seen" in the ring in many "top card" matches within the wrestling world, but he's also starred in a number of iconic movie roles, such as the Transformers film Bumblebee and the comedy Blockers.
The transition from the ring to acting has helped Cena rake in a lot of moolah — in 2017, his movie career netted him $10 million alone. He's said to be worth more than $55 million total.
Chris Jericho Does It All
Chris Jericho made his name in WCW. Then he went over to WWE and electrified things over there. He's been in a number of other wrestling promotions over the years. He's also a singer, actor, musician, and appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
Jericho's net worth is about $18 million as of right now, and it's likely that's only going to keep climbing. He may not be headlining championship bouts, but he's still landing roles in films like the Jay and Silent Bob reboot. The man just keeps finding ways to reinvent himself, while maintaining his classic persona all-the-while. That's a unique talent, to say the least.
Rey Mysterio Can Afford Thousands Of Masks
Rey Mysterio started wrestling at the age of 15 in Mexico. Since then, the luchador-style wrestler has made an impressive mark on the professional wrestling industry. In the WCW, he made his name known by being a frequent winner of that brand's "cruiserweight" title. But he eventually gained notice by defeating then-champ Kevin Nash in a non-title match (despite being substantially shorter in stature). It wouldn't be long before he won the title itself.
Rey made the switch to the WWE, and in 1999 he lost a match in which the result meant he had to unmask himself. He was reportedly not happy about doing so!
Steve Austin Makes Stone Cold Hard Cash
Stone Cold Steve Austin had humbling beginnings, wrestling for just $40 a match when he first started. He's come a long way since then, headlining an innumerable amount of pay-per-views, where he made most of his fortune. In fact, he's amassed more than a million times as much as he once earned!
Austin, who at his prime was the face of the Attitude Era of the WWE, is worth about $45 million these days. While he's retired from in-ring bouts, he still has a connection to wrestling, hosting a podcast about the industry. He also stars in his own reality TV series.
Batista Is Worth $13 Million
A lot of die-hard fans know who Dave Batista is, but even if you're not familiar with him from the WWE, you've probably seen him on the big screen. That's because Batista plays Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including within the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and in two of the four Avengers films.
A six-time world champ in the WWE, and someone who has won the tag team championship a number of times, Batista was a formidable opponent in the square-ring to begin with. But in 2006, after taking acting classes, most of his income has come about due to his film career.
Triple H Is Worth About $35 Million
Triple H is a captivating, and very intense, wrestler who has made all the right moves in his career. A founding member of DX, involved in storylines with the McMahon family, and having a commanding stage presence helped him a lot. In 2003, he actually married Stephanie McMahon in real life, making him a member of the family that owns the WWE.
But he's not wealthy based just off of that — he makes $2.8 million a year from his salary, not to mention the additional income he gets from endorsements related to his image.
Randy Orton RKO-ed Into Millions
Randy Orton is a third-generation wrestler, so he knows a thing or two about the business — which has helped him in many ways to become a success within the WWE. A nine-time WWE champion, Orton signed onto the brand in 2001, and has had a very stellar career ever since.
The RKO — the finishing move that Orton employs, which is sort of like a variant Diamond Cutter/Stone Cold Stunner — has surprised audiences and opponents alike, as it can seemingly happen out of anywhere. Orton is worth about $11 million, which makes sense, considering all the "gold" he's won in the WWE.
Seth Rollins Made Most Of His Income Through Merch
Colby Lopez, aka Seth Rollins, is worth about $4 million. He started out wrestling on the independent circuit, and remained there for five years before WWE signed him on. His rise to success was immediate after that — he was part of a stable of wrestlers called "The Shield," which included himself, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. Talk about a dream team!
While many wrestlers get paid a lot for being involved in pay-per-views — Rollins, for example, has been on many Wrestlemania tickets, among others — most of the income he's garnered has actually come from his share in merchandise sales. That's one way to tell if you're a fan favorite!
Kurt Angle Is Worth $25 Million
Kurt Angle was a very successful wrestler, even before stepping into the WWE ring. That's because he was a real wrestler long before he joined the sports entertainment business. In fact, Angle is the only WWE wrestler in the company's history to have actually won a gold medal at the Olympics in wrestling.
Angle's athletic ability definitely came in handy. As John Cena once noted, Angle was, in his mind, the "most gifted all-around performer we have ever had step into a ring." Angle played the "heel" perfectly, even though in real life, he was technically an all American hero.
Roman Reigns — $9 Million
Roman Reigns has a lot of family connections to professional wrestling, being a part of the Anoa'i, American Samoan family (Dwayne Johnson is even part of it). The WWE knew they did well with The Rock, and wanted Reigns to pick up, well, the reins when he joined the company.
But fans weren't going along with Reigns becoming the "face of the company." He was well-liked, to be sure, but didn't quite have the star power that Johnson had. He's made it as a superstar, of course, evident in the number of Wrestlmania's he's headlined — four of them in total.
How Much Is The Rock Worth?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is worth a whopping $280 million. A top star in the WWE, he made his debut in the mid-1990s and has varied from a "heel" (bad guy) character to a "face" (good guy) on a number of occasions. But he's always been a popular wrestler within the brand — he event had difficulties, at times, pulling off the "heel" role, as fans would sometimes still cheer for him.
Even though he was one of the most popular wrestlers of the Attitude Era, Johnson made the bulk of his fortunes from starring in blockbuster films over recent years. He's been in so many that, if you can't name one yourself, you're probably not a theater-goer to begin with! He'll soon be starring in the upcoming film, the sequel to the rebooted Jumanji.
CM Punk
CM Punk is a well-known WWE wrestler, as well as a UFC fighter who began with Ring of Honor. In 2005, he signed with WWE. He's wrestled for 15 years. Beyond wrestling, he's also an enormous advocate for the "straight edge" culture, which promotes abstinence from drinking, smoking, and using recreational drugs.
Punk (real name, Philip Jack Brooks) has won a number of titles within the WWE. He's also held the championship for a long period of time ― he's recognized as the sixth-longest reigning champ in the WWE. Having that kind of star power, in the WWE and elsewhere, has helped him amass quite the income, and he's worth around $8 million.
Daniel Bryan
Bryan Danielson had made a name for himself within a smaller wrestling organization called the Ring of Honor. But when he came to the WWE, he had to change his name for legal reasonings, to Daniel Bryan. The wrestler has defintely earned his keep for the company — he's worth about $8 million nowadays — but he had to take a brief respite in 2016 due to concerns over concussions he's had in the ring.
He became the general manager of SmackDown in that year, serving in that role until 2018, when he made his in-ring return. He's held one version of the WWE championship belt 5 times in his career.
Worth His Weight In Gold?
The phenom known as Goldberg (first name, Bill, if we're getting technical) won 173 straight singles matches in a row before becoming the World Champion at WCW. Before he was in the wrestling world, however, Goldberg had attempted a career in the NFL, with the Los Angeles Rams.
Goldberg, who is worth about $14 million, transitioned to WWE when that brand bought out the WCW. His distinctive spear move and no-nonsense approach to the matches he's been in have made him a fan favorite — he's also won the WWE championship belt, too, making him one of few wrestlers to earn both championships in their lifetimes.
A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles knew from a young age that he wanted to become a professional wrestler. In the 1990s, he became an independent wrestler, fighting for various circuits. He tried to sign with the WWE early on in his career, but he wasn't quite ready — so he signed with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) instead. He stayed with the company up until 2013, when he returned to independent circuits. Finally, in 2016 he signed with the WWE. He even had a year-long title reign.
Styles has had a storied career, and it's definitely been a successful one — the superstar is worth about $6 million, not too shabby for someone who spent a lot of time as an independent wrestler.
JBL/John Charles Layfield
John Charles Layfield has had a successful career inside and out of the ring. He was originally part of a tag team, and his persona at the time was "Bradshaw" — but when he struck out on his own as a solo fighter, he changed his name to be JBL (replacing his real middle name with his former Bradshaw name).
The character he then portrayed was a wealthy investor and businessman. He played the part well — probably because he WAS a wealthy stock investor, and made a lot of wise choices in those pursuits. Layfield remains as a financial commentator on the Fox News Channel, and he's worth around $9 million.
The "Big Red Machine"
The "Big Red Machine," billed as the half-brother to the Undertaker, has had a storied career within the WWE. Anytime the lights go out, and that heinous organ music starts to play, fans know that something terrible is about to happen — and Kane (real name Glenn Thomas Jacobs) usually delivers.
Kane has been part of the WWE for so long that he's started to appear less and less. He's even taken on a new job — as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Because of the many storylines and pay-per-views he's been apart of, Jacobs has amassed quite the fortune, and is worth $7 million.
Dean Ambrose Is Worth $6 Million
We've talked about the net worths Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, but what about the third member of The Shield? Dean Ambrose also spent years wrestling in the independent circuit (under the name Jon Moxley) before going to the big leagues. In 2011, he officially joined the WWE roster, and has definitely made a name for himself ever since.
Ambrose has been voted twice as WWE's Most Popular Wrestler, and there's good reason for that. Considered a wild card, there's no telling where his temperament will lead him from one night to the other. As a heel or as a face, he entertains either way.
Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is worth $10 million, and there's a big reason why — he is an undisputed star in the world of "sports entertainment." In 2014, he officially joined the WWE, and exploded onto the scene in a big way.
Owens definitely works hard for his keep. In 2017 alone, he headlined 60 different wrestling events within the WWE. Usually, wrestlers appear in a weekly episode (though not every week of the year) and a few pay-per-views, but this number means he appeared in a significant number of un-aired house shows, too. It's no wonder fans love him so much — he's got a commanding stage presence on the mic that they can't turn their heads from, and brings a big fight no matter which match he's in.
Sheamus Plays The Heel So Good
For fifteen years, the Irish wrestler Sheamus has performed within the WWE. That has netted him $7 million over his career so far, and it's likely to continue amassing as time goes on. Sheamus, who had wrestled in Europe before, joined the WWE in 2009, and has typically played the heel (bad guy) role in most of his storylines.
Sheamus really plays up his Irish heritage, which, in real life, he's likely very proud of. It's not unusual to see him come out wearing green, but if you're another WWE star waiting for him in the ring, you won't be focusing on his attire — because Sheamus can pack a punch!
Wade Barrett — $7 Million
Some people are just naturally born to become fighters. Wade Barrett, who grew up in England idolizing wrestler Davey Boy Smith, is one of them. He wrestled in school then became a bare-knuckle boxer in his twenties. That's not a sport most people can handle for long, but Barrett perservered.
Fighting throughout Europe up until 2004, Barrett finally became a pro wrestler in that year, and tried out for WWE a couple of times before being signed on in 2007. Nowadays, he's a commentator more than a fighter, but he's managed to earn millions of dollars during that time.
Jeff Hardy's High Flying Skills
Jeff Hardy has been a fan favorite for years. It's no wonder why — his high-flying antics and hardcore wrestling style have made audiences say "ooh" and "ouch!" for several years. As a teenager, Jeff and his brother Matt even formed their own wrestling league. They must have had some impressive backyard moves, because the WWE signed them both on to fight under their brand.
Hardy's popularity kept going up, up, up, eventually amassing him a net worth of $12 million. He was so popular that he even got some television work (in a non-fighting role) on That 70s Show, for a wrestling episode that program had on Fox.
Jeff Jarrett — Those Guitars Don't Come Cheap!
Jeff Jarrett has been involved in wrestling for almost his entire professional career. He started in the Continental Wrestling Association, then joined the WWE in 1992. He was iconic for always having a guitar near the ring, which inevitably ended up in the face of his opponent as some point during the match (miraculously, this did not always end with him losing by DQ).
Jarrett moved on to become an investor of Total Nonstop Action wrestling, and thus a direct competitor of the WWE. He also helped start Global Force Wrestling in 2014. His career as a wrestler, and his business acumen, led him to earn about $15 million.
Mick Foley/Mankind/Cactus Jack/Dude Love
Mick Foley's career in the world of wrestling is unmatchable. He's had more than three decades as a wrestler, manager, and all-around goofball. Whether he's dressed as Mankind (along with Mister Socko), dancing as Dude Love, or shooting of his finger-guns as Cactus Jack — or even just wrestling as Mick Foley — it's understandable that the Hall of Famer would have amassed a small fortune as a result.
Foley is worth about $18 million. In addition to wrestling, he's been somewhat involved in politics, writing children's books, and lending his voice to some cartoon series as well — including as "The Boulder" on Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
Sweet Chin Music To His Ears
Shawn Michaels, sometimes known as Mr. Wrestlemania, has definitely put his mark on the WWE. One of the founding members of DX, Michaels' career went beyond that stable where he also had a storied solo run. He wrestled for more than 30 years — even after he officially "retired" in 2010, he came back to work with the WWE as a trainer, to bring on the next generation of wrestlers for the brand.
Much of his net worth ($17 million in total) is due to headlining pay-per-views and other wrestling events, but he's also made quite a bit in retirement, through a book he's authored about his life, as well as an outdoor TV series he hosts.
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is part of a wrestling dynasty. His father, brother, inlaws, and more in his family were, and still are, famous wrestlers, and they're known for bringing a technical aspect to wrestling fans across the world. They aren't high flyers, but rather famous for their holds and moves that resulted in a lot of their opponents having to tap out.
Hart is worth about $14 million, but that's mostly due to his legacy more than his actual wrestling (the era in which he wrestled didn't allow individuals to amass the million-dollar figures some wrestlers garner today). Hart has also performed as an actor in Natural Born Killers, and as a voice actor on The Simpsons.
Sting
Sting — the wrestler, not the singer — is worth about $8 million. Originally appearing in a colorful outfit in the 1980s and early 1990s, he changed his persona quite a bit during the heyday of the WCW, donning a black-and-white look (and a red-and-black one when he joined the Wolf Pack). He's earned his money by being a high commodity within the WCW, winning the championship belt 15-times.
Sting made his way to WWE way later than the rest of the WCW crew, which was absorbed by the company owned by Vince McMahon after it went under. In 2015, Sting wrestled at a WWE pay-per-view. Unfortunately, he suffered a career-ending injury in that match, and Sting had to hang up the tights for good after that.
Edge — $14 Million
Edge has amassed $14 million during his career as a wrestler and an actor. Spending most of his life as a mid-card fighter, that's not an easy feat to do — but after being signed to WWE in 1997, he became a hardcore style fighter, well-known for being a high flyer during TLC (tables, ladders, and chairs) matches. He also won a few tag team titles with Christian while he was part of The Brood. In the mid 2000s, he eventually won the WWE title, too.
He later left wrestling, however, to pursue acting. He's done fairly well, and observant fans of the show Vikings may recognize him as the character Kentill Flatnose.
Kevin Nash — Big Sexy
Kevin Nash has earned his nickname as "Big Sexy." At 6'10" tall, he's got a massive frame and a commanding presence. Originally starting in WWE under the name Diesel, he jumped ship to form "The Outsiders," and eventually nWo, with his tag team partner, Scott Hall. He's held the WCW title on several occasions.
Being one of the biggest names in WCW helped Nash amass a pretty penny. But he's also starred in a number of movie roles, including as a henchman in The Punisher, and, more noticeably, in Magic Mike as one of the male dancers. We told you his nickname was "Big Sexy." His net worth? Around $8 million.
That's A Lot Of Diamonds
Diamond Dallas Page's net worth of $10 million means he could probably buy plenty of diamonds. But DDP didn't always wrestle — his career began with the AWA and WCW as a manager, from 1988 to 1991. But starting that year, Page became a wrestler himself, and headlined many shows (as well as pay-per-views) for that wrestling brand.
Page did join WWE for one year after the company's merged, but following that stint, he left wrestling to focus on a yoga business. That's where most of his worth has actually come from — the first three years of DDP Yoga, in fact, earned him $ million alone.
The Miz
Michael Mizanin, better known to WWE fans as The Miz, has had a somewhat weird career. He didn't start out as a wrestler, but as a reality show contestant on a number of programs, including The Real World and Fear Factor, among a handful of others. But once he joined the WWE in 2006, he started making real cash.
Since that time, The Miz has earned his keep as a mainstay of the company. His yearly income of $2.5 million helped him amass a net worth of $9 million, but another reality show he's in supplements that as well — Miz and Mrs, which stars him and his wife Maryse as they become parents.
David Otunga — $10 Million
David Otunga probably has the shortest tenure of any wrestler on this list, but he's still managed to have a net worth of about $10 million. As a contestant on I Love New York 2, Otunga later left the reality TV world and joined the WWE in 2009, under the name of Dawson Alexander.
He retired from fighting in 2015, however, to become a ringside commentator. He's also had guest roles in a few shows, including General Hospital. Besides missing out on love in reality television, Otunga also lost love with his ex-wife, Jennifer Hudson. The couple split in 2017.
The Late Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero, also known as the "Latino Heat," was one of those wrestlers who was born to become a great fighter. He was literally born into a wrestling family, and started at a young age. Initially a tag team fighter in Mexico, Guerrero moved onto the WCW and eventually WWE. In 2004, the wrestler, who was accustomed to being a heel, became a fan-favorite, an anti-hero of sorts who turned face, even if he still had to "lie, cheat, and steal" to win some matches.
Guerrero passed away in 2005 from heart disease, after abusing drugs and alcohol for many years. The former WWE champion was worth $6 million at the time of his death, and was only 38 years old.
RVD
RVD, also known as Rob Van Dam, started out in the early 1990s with WCW. He was a regular in the roster, headlining a number of pay-per-view events during that era. Even though he may not be a household name today, Van Dam holds a very distinct position in the world of wrestling: he's the only person to have ever hold the championship title in the WWE, ECW, and TNA wrestling. He's had 21 championships overall, and was ranked the number-one wrestler in the world in 2002. Having a net worth of $5 million may actually seem somewhat small, considering all that he's accomplished!
Ric Flair
The Nature Boy Ric Flair is recognized by WWE as a 16-time World Champion. Those championships came about in different companies, including eight times within NWA, six times in WCW, and two times in the WWE (others insist he's held the title belt as many as 25 times, however).
His distinctive "woo!" and his time as a member of the Four Horsemen are among his many achievements. He first began wrestling in 1972, and has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame — and is the first person to have been inducted into it a second time! In spite of his storied career, Flair's net worth is a measly $3 million. It's possible much of his income went toward his wardrobe!
Matt Hardy Is Worth $5 Million
Matt Hardy, brother to Jeff Hardy, is a well-known wrestler in the world of sports entertainment. Like his brother, he's known for a hardcore style of wrestling. The two brothers actually got their start in wrestling on their own, forming a league as teenagers. Hardy later began a solo career in 2002, after having an intense tag team pairing with his brother for several years.
Matt has been able to reinvent himself on several occasions. He created a "Version 1" gimmick in 2002, which was awarded Best Gimmick at the time. He won the award again in 2017, when he created his "Woken" persona.
