42. Jack Brisco ($8M)
The WWE is big business – while the “Monday Night Wars” are behind us, television deals, licensing contracts, and more amount to big bucks. But back in the day, some performers were so in demand that they made it big long before any of this existed.
Some wrestlers took their earnings and lived a quiet life, others squandered the money, and a few used their earnings to start other lucrative businesses. The following is a list of the highest net worth individuals in the history of pro wrestling.
41. Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig ($8M)
Jack Brisco spent years performing for the NWA, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship two separate times. He also won the Tag Team Championship multiple times with Gerald Brisco, his brother.
On top of that, Brisco discovered Hulk Hogan back in the seventies. He introduced Hogan to the famous trainer Hiro Matsuda, whom Hogan worked together with until he started his pro career.
40. Kevin Nash ($8M)
“Mr. Perfect” came from a wrestling family – his father, Larry Hennig, was a pro wrestler who went by the name “The Axe.” Additionally, Curt is the father of current WWE wrestler Curtis Axel, making the Hennig family a true WWE dynasty.
Curt’s character stretched from that of a “perfect” athlete all the way to a country boy who performed satirical songs. He and Bret Hart are also credited with raising the standards for technical wrestling.
39. Sting ($8M)
Over the course of his career, which spanned more than two decades, Nash won the WWE Championship and the WCW Heavyweight Championship five times. He also managed to win many tag team championships.
While he retired from wrestling back in 2011, he has managed to keep himself busy since stepping away from the ring. For instance, he’s made a few cameo appearances in films such as The Longest Yard and Magic Mike.
38. CM Punk ($8M)
Sting’s real name is Steven Borden, and he’s a fifteen-time World Heavyweight Champion. Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, he holds a staggering total of twenty-five championships in all.
He was even named the “Greatest Superstar in WCW History” by the WWE. Sting was awarded this honor for his multitude of incredible achievements and victories over the length of his entire career.
37. Rey Mysterio, Jr. ($8.5M)
CM Punk is a current MMA fighter and former pro-wrestler. He wrestled for the WWE for a decade, winning several championship titles – he even won the Triple Crown Championship in barely over 200 days.
Outside of the ring, he lives a healthy lifestyle and completely avoids smoking or drinking. He’s also dabbled in acting, and recently he debuted in the Netflix Original movie, Girl on the Third Floor.
36. Perro Aguayo ($9M)
Mysterio signed with WCW in 1995 before switching to the WWE, and he’s known best for the Lucha Libre style of fighting. This is a flying wrestling style that led to the emergence of the cruiserweight wrestler category.
No stranger to feuds, Mysterio and his conflict with Seth Rollins is especially famous. There were rumors that Mysterio would retire after Rollins damaged his eye at an event, but luckily, doctors were able to limit the damage.
35. Big Van Vader ($9M)
Pedro Aguayo, known on stage as Perro Aguayo or “El Can de Nochistlan,” was a wrestler who started back in the seventies. He was one of the biggest stars in the history of the aforementioned Lucha libre style of fighting.
The WWF Light Heavyweight Champ had a brawler fighting style and almost always tried to overpower his opponents. Aguayo was also known for blading, which often led to blood in his matches.
34. Seth Rollins ($9M)
Big Van Vader, or Leon Allen White, was huge, standing 6’4” tall and weighing 456 pounds. Yet he was somehow capable of pulling off several aerial moves, including his signature “Diving Moonsault”, named the “Best Wrestling Maneuver” in 1993.
Prior to his wrestling career, he was a football player in the NFL. His wrestling career started in 1985, which was six years after he finished his rather short stint playing with the Los Angeles Rams.
33. Lars Anderson ($9.4M)
Seth Rollins, previously mentioned for his feud with Mysterio, got his big break in 2012. At the time, he was part of “The Shield” with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Eventually, he became the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2015.
Rollins’ list of career accomplishments includes being named WWE World Heavy Weight Champion twice, WWE Intercontinental Champion twice, and WWE Universal Champion twice. He was also the cover athlete for the video game WWE 2K18.
32. Andre The Giant ($10M)
Anderson began his pro wrestling career as part of a tag team with his brother, Gene Anderson. His career spanned across three decades from the ’60s to the ’80s, and some disputes spilled over to real life.
Dwayne Johnson called out Anderson in his biography. Johnson confronted Anderson about his refusal to give up his title of Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight to a wrestler Johnson felt deserved it more, which almost resulted in a fight.
31. Greg Gagne ($10M)
Most famous for his size and his feud with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant suffered from gigantism, which causes the human growth hormone to produce too much. It’s the reason he was 7’4 and weighed in at a whopping 520 pounds.
Due to his size, another name for him was “The 8th Wonder of the World.” He was also able to score acting roles, most notably for the movie The Princess Bride. In 1993, he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame and he passed away.
30. Yokozuna ($10M)
Another guy where wrestling was in the family – his dad was Verne Gagne, the legendary promoter and wrestler. At one point, he even got the elder Gagne to briefly come out of retirement and enter the ring.
Wrestling from the seventies through the early nineties, Gagne had his most success as a member of a tag team called “The High Flyers.” He and Jim Brunzell used acrobatic techniques to stand out and entertain the crowds.
29. Diamond Dallas Page ($10M)
Even though he was born in San Francisco, wrestler Yokozuna was said to be from Polynesia when he debuted in 1984. He was a whopping 6’4” tall and tipped the scale at an incredible 589 pounds.
Vince McMahon offered Yokozuna a slot on the WWE roster in 1992. He was supposedly responsible for breaking Greg Gagne’s leg and ending his career – unfortunately, there’s more of a connection between these two wrestlers than their net worth.
28. David Otunga ($10M)
Page has several other business ventures that include motivational speaking, acting, and fitness instructing. He had a wrestling career that spanned across two decades and started back in 1988 for the AWA, later signing to the WCW.
He signed a contract with WWF in 2001 after WCW was sold. Unfortunately, he was injured multiple times and eventually decided to retire. Nevertheless, he still made it into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
27. Daniel Bryan ($10M)
Outside of wrestling, David Otunga has some eye-popping facts. Not only did he graduate from Harvard Law School, but he was also once married to Jennifer Hudson.
These days, he’s a panelist and color commentator for WWE. In his prime, he was the only member of “The Nexus” and “The New Nexus” to have been a part of each group, and he won the WWE Tag Team Championship twice.
26. Tiger Mask IV ($11M)
A man of several titles, Daniel Bryan won the Championship Title four times and the Heavyweight Title once. Additionally, he has won multiple awards for the WWE, including both the SmackDown Money in the Bank and Tag Team Championships.
The worldwide wrestler also had quite the career in Japan, where he has a dozen championship wins, including numerous titles on the indie circuits. He was injured near the end of that tenure but has since been deemed healthy.
25. Bruiser Brody ($11M)
Tiger Mask is a longstanding Japanese wrestling role and Tiger Mask IV is one of its portrayals. This particular variation has worked for NJPW åsince 1995, making him the longest-tenured version of the character.
Outside of Japan, he has also garnered fame in America and has made appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Also, TNA Wrestling has a partnership with NJPW. He has even appeared on TNA Impact!
24. Randy Orton ($11M)
As one may guess from his name, Bruiser Brody was into hardcore wrestling and its bloody style. Also known as, “Red River Jack”, he quickly became famous in his prime as a special attraction wrestler.
Across the board, he made appearances for the WCCW, WWF, CSW, AWA, and AJPW, among others. He was prideful of his reputation and rarely agreed to lose a match beforehand – he was also known to intentionally injure opponents.›
23. Roman Reigns ($12M)
The Orton family is another legendary wrestling family – Randy’s grandfather, father, and uncle all were in the business, too. He debuted in WWE as part of Evolution, where he became the Intercontinental Champion.
Orton became the youngest WWE champion ever after winning the World Heavy Weight Championship at only 24 years old. Fast forward and he has now won the WWE Championship and WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship multiple times.
22. Eric Bischoff ($12.5M)
Roman Reigns is another former football player who crossed over to wrestling. He initially made his debut in the WWE under “The Shield” in 2012, and he later went solo and headlined four straight WrestleMania events.
His list of accomplishments includes holding the WWE Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and World Heavyweight Championship at the same time. He was also the Superstar of the Year in 2014.
21. Dave Bautista ($13M)
Bischoff only entered the ring sporadically but made most of his money through being a businessman with ties to wrestling. His best-known role was as Executive Producer and President of World Championship Wrestling.
He’s an entrepreneur, pro wrestling booking agent, TV personality, and TV producer. Before his wrestling career, he had several jobs that included owning a landscaping business and competing as a pro kickboxer.
20. Owen Hart ($14M)
Bautista made his debut with Evolution alongside Randy Orton, but like a lot of wrestlers, eventually went solo. In total, he won the World Wrestling Championship 6 times and the World Heavyweight Championship 4 times.
After he retired from the WWE, he went into MMA and acting for the most part. He has snagged several recurring roles in Marvel films as “Drax the Destroyer”, and also recently starred in “My Spy”.
19. Edge ($14M)
Yet another guy from a wrestling family, Hart was born in Canada and was the youngest of twelve kids. His parents, Stu and Helen, promoted for Stampede Wrestling. Hart has held numerous championships across the WWF and USWA.
Hart is recognized within the WWF as one of the best wrestlers and performers, where he headlined many PPV events. Unfortunately, he died in a freak accident when he fell from the rafters as he was being lowered into the ring.
18. Bill Goldberg ($14M)
Edge has won 31 total WWE championships, making him one of wrestling’s most decorated wrestlers. Edge enjoyed doing crazy stunts for his fans, and broke his neck during one routine – he was known for not faking his stunts.
After an eight-year hiatus from the squared circle, Edge returned to WWE at the 2020 Royal Rumble and hasn’t looked back since. He’s also focused on acting, assuming the role of Ketill Flatnose in the History Channel show ‘Vikings.’
17. Jeff Jarrett ($15M)
There is definitely an attraction to wrestling for former football players. Goldberg was one of the most popular wrestlers of the WCW back in the late ’90s, likely due to an undefeated streak and overseas ventures with the All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Goldberg headlined numerous storylines and events for the WWE and won the World Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after his retirement, he was inducted into the class of 2018 WWE Hall of Fame.
16. Shawn Michaels ($17M)
Jarrett initially made his debut 1986 as part of the CWA before joining the WWF, where he gained most of his popularity. He would go on to wrestle in WCW and TNA before founding his own company, Global Force Wrestling.
Jarrett joined Goldberg in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018, and he’s also a member of the TNA Hall of Fame. In 2019, he returned to the WWE as a producer and made occasional on-screen cameos.
15. The Undertaker ($17M)
As one of the most prolific pro wrestlers ever, his nicknames include “Mr. WrestleMania” and the “Heartbreak Kid.” His career spanned three decades, during which he won the WWE World Championship, WWF Championship, and the WWE Heavyweight Championship.
Michaels is also one of only a few wrestlers to have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice. Since retiring in 2010, Michaels has trained other WWE wrestlers and has also published an autobiography.
14. Mick Foley ($18M)
Wrestling professionally since 1984, The Undertaker is one of the oldest pros still making appearances. While it’s believed that he retired back in 2017, the 17-time WWE champion still shows up at multiple events per year.
He has an incredible and almost unbeatable presence in the WWE, hence his former undefeated WrestleMania record – at one point, he was 21-0. This streak ended when he finally lost to Brock Lesnar.
13. Chris Jericho ($18M)
The four-time World Champion is one of the most respected wrestlers of the WWE. Foley had a multitude of nicknames throughout his career, some of which include “Dude Love,” “Mankind” and “Cactus Jack.”
Foley has retired from wrestling, although in 2013, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Other Foley ventures include authoring New York Times bestsellers and starring in wrestling documentaries.
12. The Big Show ($20M)
Jericho’s wrestling career has spanned three decades, making him one of the longest-tenured wrestlers. While best known for his time with the WWE, where he has been a six-time World Champion, Jericho is currently with All Elite Wrestling.
Outside of wrestling, he is the lead singer of his own rock band, Fozzy. He has even appeared on TV shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” and has written some New York Times bestsellers!
11. Brock Lesnar ($22M)
Named partially for his 7-foot and 441-pound body, Big Show is the only male wrestler to have won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE Championship, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.
But there’s more to Big Show than his accolades – he recently got his own Netflix show, “The Big Show Show”. He also starred in “Knucklehead”, his own feature movie, and has made several appearances in other movies.
10. Hulk Hogan ($25M)
A headliner straight out of college, Lesnar quickly made a mark on the WWE when he made his debut in 2002. After winning the WWE Championship, Lesnar decided to try out pro football as a part of the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.
Lesnar is the only WWE member to have held both the WWE Championship and the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He remains a top draw for WWE – despite limited appearances, Lesnar was the highest-paid WWE wrestler in 2019.
9. Kurt Angle ($25M)
Hulk Hogan arguably had the biggest impact in the world of wrestling and was the main reason for the popularity of WWE during the ’80s and ’90s. At one point, he was worth over $100M, but lost a large chunk of his net worth over the years.
The 12-time World Champion is a two-time inductee of the WWE Hall of Fame. Nowadays, Hogan is an occasional host for WWE events such as WrestleMania, which he was the first to ever headline.
8. Triple H ($40M)
Unlike many of his past WWE opponents, Angle actually wrestled competitively before – at the 1996 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal for the US. However, there’s not much money in competitive wrestling, so Angle turned professional.
Angle last wrestled in WrestleMania 35 professionally and subsequently became a WWE Hall of Fame Inductee in 2017. These days, he heads his own company called Physical Fit Nutrition.
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin ($45M)
Triple H has had an outstanding career in WWE, winning more than a dozen World Championships and several other titles. Along the way, he married Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of the majority owners of WWE, Linda and Vince McMahon.
Perhaps that marriage is part of the reason that Triple H has transitioned over to the executive side. He’s WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development, Senior Producer of NXT, and a part-time WWE wrestler.
6. Harley Race ($57M)
Steve Austin is a six-time WWE world champion and one of the few to have won the WWE Royal Rumble at least three times. He’s one of the biggest fan favorites in WWE history, thanks in part to his rivalry with Vince McMahon.
While injuries forced him to retire earlier than others, Stone Cold has stayed busy. Since induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, he has been in movies and on TV, as well as launched his own podcast and a beer.
5. Lou Thesz ($58M)
Race is one of only six to be in five different Halls of Fame: the WWE, NWA, WCW, PWH, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame. He won the World Championship 9 times in the WWA, 8 times in the NWA, and was the first NWA Heavyweight Champion.
Some of his nicknames included “The King,” “Jack Long” and “Handsome Harley” because his character was an all-American pretty boy. This was likely why the Japanese press gave him the “Handsome” moniker.
4. John Cena ($60M)
Thesz held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship title three times over the course of more than ten years, which was longer than anyone else in history. He was called “Tetsujin” in Japan, which translated to “Ironman.”
Born way back in 1916, Thesz was a pioneer of wrestling. He helped create his own Hall of Fame and was a founding member of the WCW, Professional Wrestling, and Wrestling Observer Halls of Fame.
3. Stan Hansen ($99M)
Cena is a record-breaking 16-time World Champion in WWE and future Hall of Famer. While he started out as a trash-talking rapper in the ring, his character evolved over the years into the face of the brand.
Hollywood and philanthropy take up most of his time these days, but he still returns to WWE every now and then between gigs. With the Make-a-Wish foundation, Cena has granted the most wishes ever at over 600.
2. The Rock ($320M)
Hansen wrestled from 1973 all the way through to 200 for the WWF, AWA, WCE, and several Japanese pro wrestling organizations. Upon retirement, he was the commissioner of the PWF. He became a WWE Hall of Fame inductee in 2016.
His character was known as a loud and violent cowboy who always wanted to fight everybody around him. To push this caricature, Hansen wore a cowboy hat and vest while chewing tobacco during interviews.
1. Vince McMahon ($1.6B)
Giving John Cena a run for his money as the current most popular and loved wrestler, The Rock is a 10-time World Champion who came from humble beginnings. He went from being broke out of college to one of the most recognizable figures in the world.
Thanks to acting, The Rock has managed to earn more money outside of the ring than in it. In 2019, he was the highest-earning Hollywood actor – he is one of the main characters in the “Fast & Furious” movies, and also starring in films like “Jumanji”.
McMahon has built an entertainment empire as well as some crazy storylines over the years. He has arm-wrestled Hulk Hogan, been taken out by Stone Cold Steve Austin, and even embarrassed by Donald Trump.
In addition to being the CEO of WWE, McMahon is also a film producer, promoter, and commentator. His name is tied to restaurants, bars, clothing lines, wrestling schools, and even professional football leagues.