As one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors, it’s safe to say Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is no stranger to eye-watering sums of money.
As one of the most recognisable names and figures on the planet, the Floridian’s life story is a relative rags to riches tale – a journey so compelling it commanded its own television series, Young Rock.
WWEThe Rock V Stone Cold was a major Attitude Era rivalry in WWE[/caption]
But while the People’s Champ’s tenure in the wrestling ring and the movie screen is widely known, less established are some of the incredible sums he’s commanded over the course of his career – both the good and the bad.
A third generation wrestling star, Johnson followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Peter Miavia, and father, Rocky Johnson, in becoming a star in the wrestling world, working his first WWE match against veteran Brooklyn Brawler in 1996 before making an on-screen debut at that year’s Survivor Series in New York City.
Prior to his joining WWE, it’s fair to say Johnson’s experience between the ropes was limited, his childhood spent following his family to matches and immersing himself in the industry only preparing him so much.
Back in 2001, Johnson shared a candid photo which he claims was taken with a fan after his very first match at a flea market in Memphis, Tennessee – for which the actor said he was paid just $40, barely £30.
“TBT to me and a young fan after my wrestling match at the flea market in Memphis,” Johnson wrote.
“My ring name was “Flex Kavana” (hey I thought it was a cool name at the time) and I was making a GUARANTEED $40 bucks per match. I was broke as hell, passionate and gave it all I got – having NOOO IDEA the long, windy, unpredictable road that lay ahead.”
The road ahead was one of stardom and incredible riches for the incredible athlete, who’d initially tried his hand at a football career in the US before opting for the wrestling ring.
Rivalries with the likes of Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Stone Cold Steve Austin followed, as Rock became a firm favourite with wrestling fans thanks to a natural charisma and a genuine connection with the audience.
It wasn’t long until Hollywood came calling, The Mummy Returns the first major film of what would become an iconic silver screen career which made Johnson Hollywood’s highest paid actor.
Johnson netted a reported $5.5 million to feature in the 2001 flick that was a $435 smash hit at the box office, further roles eventually luring him away from the wrestling ring altogether as the megastar stepped away from active competition.
WWEAfter success in WWE in the 1990s, Rock’s movie career took off big time[/caption]
He would go on to wrestle just eight times between 2004 and 2024 thanks to fleeting appearances for WWE, during which time he racked up major film successes with roles in the likes of Jumanji, Moana and the Fast and Furious franchise.
Johnson’s stellar catalogue of films has earned him a combined staggering $12.5 billion, with Forbes noting he’d received $23.5 million apiece for his roles in Jumani: The Next Level and Red Notice.
For the latter, The Rock is said to have bagged a cool $1 million with the mere lift of a thumb – or two – after promoting the 2020 film across his social media platforms, which includes a 395 million following on Instagram and a not-too-shabby 17 million followers on X.
The Great One will feature in Amazon Prime’s Red One later this year, for which it’s said he’ll smash the record for the biggest up front paid to an actor.
While it is a fair assumption that it’s Johnson’s movie career and associated businesses – including a successful production company of his own – that have attributed to the lion’s share of his whopping reported $800 million net worth, the icon continues to earn big money from the wrestling world, with his roots firmly planted back in WWE.
Earlier this year he returned for a lengthy stint with the grappling giant ahead of WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia, a stretch which included his first major match in eight years as he teamed with Roman Reigns to tackle Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes.
WWEThe Rock was in phenomenal condition for his in-ring return at WrestleMania this year[/caption]
Also a Director of TKO – effectively WWE’s parent company – the now 52-year-old received a $9 million share payout.
He featured on screen on the Raw after April’s WrestleMania, vowing to return and confront newly-crowned champ Rhodes, with fans hopeful they’ll see the legend in WWE again in the build up to next year’s Mania in August.
