“Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson
Well unless you have been living under a Rock, then you have heard of the name Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
One of the most successful wrestlers to come out of the WWE of all time.
The Rock is an inspiration to millions with his good attitude, humility, and great sense of humor. One of the hardest working men in show business today.
If there is a movies coming out, then The Rock either auditioned for, saw the script, produced, or is starring in it. I mean the guy has a movie coming out like every two weeks!
He recently made headlines in January 2019 for not getting cast in Crazy Rich Asians?!!
As he worked with the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, in the 2013 sci-fi action film “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” with Bruce Willis.
Regardless, The Rock isn’t low on cash by any means.
He has an estimated net worth of over $150 Million.
On my continued journey toward studying the self-made, the man du jour is Dwayne Johnson.
Full Disclosure: I located numerous interviews, read magazine articles, and reporting on The Rock. One of the best came from Wonderwall.
So here we go.
Get your popcorn ready cause this is a long one.
I’m about to open up The Rock’s wallet and give you a peek inside.
Let’s smell what The Rock is cookin’ in his bank books shall we?
THE ROCK BEGINS: CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Dwayne Johnson, was born in California on May 2, 1972. Although he grew up poor in Hawaii, he is now one of the richest men in Hollywood, but the poverty he faced during his childhood is never far from his mind.
Case in point, On Thanksgiving 2017, The Rock revealed in a lengthy Instagram post that “there was a time back in ’87 when we couldn’t even afford Thanksgiving dinner and [were] praying someone would invite us over their house to eat.”
Due to his father’s work as a professional wrestler, the family was constantly in flux and bouncing around from place to place.
Wrestling is in The Rock’s blood.
Wrestling is actually the Johnson family business — his father Rocky Johnson was a star in the 1970s and ’80s, while his Samoan grandfather Peter Maivia was famous in the 1960s.
As his mother was unable to keep a steady job because of this, they went through hard times.
HARD KNOCK LIFE
In another IG post, in May 2015, the wrestler-actor revealed on Instagram that “when I was 14yrs old we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ’cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent.”
In 2014, he told The Hollywood Reporter that a week before they were evicted, he watched his mother’s car get repossessed. He reportedly added to her troubles by joining a theft ring that targeted affluent stores in Waikiki.
In addition, he stated in another interview that they were so broke that his mother doesn’t remember walking out into incoming traffic before he pushed her out of the way.
It was at that moment he decided to make changes in his life. He said to himself, “What can I do with these two hands?” That is when he decided to start working out.
“The successful men I knew were men who built their bodies.” – The Rock
He also stated while growing up people thought he was a girl and that they referred to him as one “all the time.”
KICK ROCKS
“I’ll never, ever be full. I’ll always be hungry. Obviously, I’m not talking about food.
Growing up, I had nothing for such a long time.” – The Rock
The Rock is now one the biggest movie stars in the world. But before the A-list super-stardom and even before his WWE debut, Dwayne Johnson was just a guy that was down on his luck.
He decided that he wanted to play football. He worked tirelessly and gave everything he had to the sport. His hard work paid off.
Johnson was a promising football prospect and received offers from many Division I collegiate programs. After finishing high school in Pennsylvania, he went on to play college football. He decided on a full scholarship from the University of Miami, playing defensive tackle. In 1991, he was on the Miami Hurricanes’ national championship team.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Johnson started only once, appearing in 39 games with a total of 77 tackles and 4.25 sacks. With muscles on top of muscles, he was a sight to behold. He was a physical specimen from Day 1.
It was once quoted about The Rock, “He was a jack-of-all-trades, but only a master at wrasslin’.
Ed Orgeron, University of Miami defensive line coach (1989-1992), once had this to say about The Rock.
“His uncle was Jimmy Snuka, he came from a wrestling family. So we knew about that.
“I remember one-day walking off the field, he hadn’t had a good day and I said something like, ‘You know, Dwayne, you should just become a wrestler.'”
Warren Sapp, NFL pro football 2013 Hall of Famer, said this of playing football with The Rock.
“So we used to joke with him by saying, ‘When you get done with football, you’re going to go into wrestling, right?’
“And he’d say: ‘Damn right, bitch.’
Everyone always had the same thing to say about Johnson, he was charismatic, humble, and down-to-earth.
The Rock would go on to complete a bachelor of general studies degree. But his football career was coming to an end around the same time his academic career did.
WRESTLING WITH $7 BUCKS
“1995. $7 Bucks In My Pocket. I Knew Two Things: I’m Broke As Hell and One Day I Won’t Be” – The Rock
In 1995, Dwayne Johnson signed with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders at a yearly salary of $35,000. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after just two months, he got knocked down to the practice team, which paid just $250 a week.
That had to hurt!
During that time, he reportedly shared a two-bedroom apartment with three other players, “eating ramen noodles and spaghetti and sleeping on a filthy mattress he had found ditched outside a pay-by-the-hour sex motel,” wrote THR. When he was cut from the team not long after that, he had just $7 to his name.
This is when he decided to become a wrestler. He begged his father to show him the ropes. Get it 😉
Dwayne Johnson made his WWE debut in 1996, becoming the first third-generation wrestler in the league. (His father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, were both professional wrestlers.) He quickly became one of the sport’s biggest stars. According to Fortune, during his second year in the WWE, The Rock made enough money to accomplish a childhood dream: He bought his first Rolex. (He smashed the $35,000 timepiece in the ring just a week later.)
I mean, wow!
“When You Walk Up To Opportunity’s Door: Don’t Knock It. Kick That Bitch In, Smile and Introduce Yourself” – The Rock
Dwayne Johnson officially transitioned to Hollywood in 1999, the year he played a version of his father, wrestler Rocky Johnson, on “That ’70s Show,” where he got to act out with Topher Grace as Eric Forman.
The following year, he channeled his wrestling alter ego (complete with cocked eyebrow) to portray an alien gladiator on an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager.” A month later, he hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time. Each of these television appearances — as well as a few others — helped him prove his acting chops and win fans outside of the wrestling world.
The people’s champ was becoming the acting champ.
Things started really moving steadily from there for The Rock.
In 2000, Dwayne Johnson released his memoir “The Rock Says…,” which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Keep in mind, Writing isn’t generally a high-paying gig—unless you happen to be the top-selling author.
Fun Fact: While this gains the coveted “NYT BESTSELLER” status for the authors, it doesn’t net a lot of money. There are weeks in the year where you can make the NYT list with as few as a couple of thousand sales.
According to Career Trend, Given the royalties of a standard contract, an author selling 20,000 books priced at $25 would earn $65,625 the first week on the “New York Times” best-seller list. This is not quite the millions superstar authors bank, but if the book continues to sell, these earnings add up to an impressive income.
Then The Rock hit pay dirt. He booked a starring role in a major Hollywood film.
In 2001, Dwayne Johnson made his feature-film debut as The Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns.” He reportedly banked $500K for his brief appearance in the action-adventure sequel to 1999’s “The Mummy.” His work in the film was so popular, he scored his own spinoff.
THE BUSINESS OF BEING THE ROCK
The Road To Success and Greatness Is Always Paved With Consistent Hard Work. Outwork Your Competitors, Be Authentic And Above All Else. Chase Your Greatness” – The Rock
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson rose to fame thanks to his exploits in the pro wrestling ring and got his first big break in the movie business as the Scorpion King in 2001’s “The Mummy Returns.”
He holds the Guinness World Record for highest paid for a movie debut, as he received a $5 million-dollar paycheck for his role.
In 2004, Dwayne Johnson left the WWE to focus on his Hollywood acting career. The following year, he earned raves for his performance as a gay cowboy bodyguard and aspiring actor in “Be Cool.” Further signaling his transition from professional wrestler to serious actor, he was credited as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson instead of just “The Rock” for his work in 2006’s “Gridiron Gang.” With 2008’s “Get Smart” — at the urging of his agents at CAA — he officially changed his stage name to Dwayne Johnson.
CAA, short for Creative Artists Agency, is also one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the world.
GIVING BACK
“I Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me Today” – The Rock
In 2006, Dwayne Johnson and then-wife Dany Garcia, who fell in love while they were students at the University of Miami, donated $2 million to their alma mater to help fund a renovation to the school’s alumni center. In 2007, they donated $1 million to the college’s Football Facilities Renovation Fund, which was reportedly the largest donation ever from a former student to the university’s athletic department. The University of Miami renamed their football locker room in his honor: It’s now the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Football Locker Room.
If that is not karma coming full circle, then I do not know what is! From getting cut from a football team to having a university athletic department named after you. Totally badass!!!
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
In 2008, Dwayne Johnson and college sweetheart Dany Garcia divorced after 10 years of marriage and one daughter, Simone. The same year they split romantically, Dany became her ex’s manager. “I was already deeply involved with his agents, I was already commenting on scripts. It was a very natural conversation, where he just said to me, ‘I would love for you to do this full-time,'” she told Marie Claire in 2017.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES ASIDE, KEEP ON TRUCKING…ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
In 2010, Dwyane Johnson portrayed star police officer Christopher Danson in “The Other Guys.” He reportedly earned $9 million for his role in the action-comedy…. even though (spoiler alert!) his character gets killed off just 15 minutes into the movie.
Dwayne Johnson executive produced the 2010 documentary “Racing Dreams.” The film, which centers around young drivers chasing the kart racing championship title, marked The Rock’s debut as a producer.
I mean, does this guy ever stop working?!!! Now he’s a producer.
In 2011, Dwayne Johnson parted ways with CAA, whose agents had urged him to distance himself from the wrestling world. He signed with WME and legendary agent Ari Emanuel (on whom Jeremy Piven’s “Entourage” alter ego, Ari Gold, is based), and officially returned to the WWE that February.
You see that. He trusted his instincts and listed to himself, not just the advice of his management team. Others may help you along your journey, but ultimately you make the final decision. ALWAYS!!!
He appeared in a number of big WWE events over the course of the next few years and, according to some reports, banked $3.5 million per year for his efforts. Apparently, he was worth every penny: “We set pay-per-view buy-rate records and attendance records each time,” he gushed to Fortune of his big return to the WWE. In April 2016, the league confirmed that WrestleMania 32 set a new attendance record for the WWE with 101,763 fans in the crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Would you look at that?
Setting records. Smacking down candy asses. Being eye candy. Raising eyebrows and rising paychecks.
That is my description of The Rock!!
FAST AND FURIOUS MONEY
“Let Actions Do Your Talkin For You, (Unless You’re Telling A Good Dirty Joke)”
In an Essence magazine article, he was asked what he was wearing while talking over the phone. His answer: A thong. Backwards. 🤣Your boy has got jokes!!!
The Rock is now taking life a quarter mile at a time.
In April 2011, Dwayne Johnson made his film-franchise debut as Luke Hobbs in “Fast Five.” At the time, the fifth installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise had the top opening weekend of any film ever to open in the month of April, though that record has since been beat. He went on to appear in the next three films in the series and has become such a fan favorite that he and Jason Statham scored their very own spin-off movie, “Hobbs and Shaw,” which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2019.
SEVEN BUCKS PRODUCTIONS
In 2012, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia co-founded their own production company, Seven Bucks Productions — a nod to that time the wrestler-actor found himself with just $7 to his name after getting the boot from the Canadian Football League. The company has produced several of The Rock’s recent films including “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Baywatch,” “Rampage” and “Skyscraper” as well as the TV shows “Ballers,” “The Hero” and “Wake Up Call.”
One of my personal favorite television shows I have ever seen The Rock do was the show “Wake Up Call.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: At 23, I Had Only $7 In My Pocket — Then I Turned My Life Around
According to Business Insider, “In TNT’s new show “Wake Up Call,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lends a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges in their lives. From dysfunctional homes and dead-beat dads to sports teams that don’t gel and businesses struggling to survive.”
MILK DOES A BODY GOOD
Dwayne Johnson starred in a commercial for the “Got Milk?” campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2013. He appeared in more advertisements for the campaign later that year.
He’s steady cashing them checks!!!💰 Cha ching! 😂
Dwayne Johnson made his reality TV debut on the TNT competition series “The Hero” in June 2013. He hosted all eight episodes of the short-lived show. The following year, The Rock returned to the network with the eight-episode series “Wake Up Call,” which tracked his efforts to help average Americans transform their lives. His third stab at reality TV, “The Titan Games,” is scheduled to debut on NBC in January 2019. According to an official synopsis, the competition series (which is in the vein of “American Gladiatiors”) is inspired by the wrestler-actor’s “desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential both mentally and physically.” Hopefully it fares better than its predecessors!
You can say that again. He’s been cancelled more times than checks!
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND RESPECT
“Blood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You Earn” – The Rock
According to Fortune, movies in which Dwayne Johnson appeared made $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office in 2013 — more than any other actor that year. To be fair, he starred in four movies that debuted in 2013: “Snitch,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Pain & Gain” and “Fast & Furious 6” (pictured).
My absolute favorite film in The Fast and The Furious franchise is Fast Five. It earned over $500 million in box office receipts. It set the stage for the billion-dollar franchise. This was a huge record at the time in 2011 for the film and The Rock most certainly helped put butts in those theater seats!
In 2014, The Rock starred in Hercules. It was a big budget film that cost $100 million USD to make. It grossed over $244 million at the box office, but was not the money maker studios would have liked.
To be fair, I saw the film. I thought it was excellent. Solid performances by The Rock and the whole cast. My absolute favorite was Ingrid Bolsø Berdal. She was outstanding in the film. She was the Legolas of the film. You know the role that made Orlando Bloom famous in The Lord of the Rings franchise.
You know how it goes: “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.”
Or DC Comic Universe’s The Arrow.
Like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, she too uses a bow and arrow. You know it is always the coolest party people that use the infamous bow and arrow and that is because it takes REAL skill.
“With Drive And A Bit Of Talent, You Can Move Mountains” – The Rock
In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson starred as a rescue helicopter pilot in “San Andreas.” He reportedly banked $25 million — the biggest paycheck of his career so far — for his role in the disaster flick. There are reports that the box office hit will get a sequel, though no moves have been made yet on the project.
Alas, as of this writing, it doesn’t look like the movie pulled in enough dough to make that happen.
“Ballers” debuted on HBO in June 2015. According to Variety, Dwayne Johnson makes $650K per episode of the series — more than any other actor makes on TV aside from the five main stars of “The Big Bang Theory,” who each bank $900K per episode of the CBS sitcom.
As of this writing, The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), will be ending and going off the air in Spring 2019. This stems from Jim Parsons’ decision to leave the series at the end of the season if the show were to be renewed for a thirteenth season. The series will conclude with an hour long finale consisting of two back-to-back episodes on May 16, 2019.
In October 2015, Dwayne Johnson announced that he’d signed on to promote Ford’s service departments. Since then, he’s appeared in several ad campaigns for the motor company.
In November 2015, Dwayne Johnson reportedly donated $1,500 to a shelter puppy who’d been named after him. The 4-month-old pooch required expensive medical treatment for a heart murmur.
THE BRAHMA BULL GETS INK AND INKS A DEAL WITH UNDER ARMOUR
“Success at anything will always come down to this: Focus & Effort, and we control both.” – The Rock
The Rock’s iconic tattoo.
The tattoos are beliefs of his ancestors from his father’s side and mothers sides. His black culture, his Samoan culture, all cumulates in a belief that the spirit of his ancestors is protecting his family. These tattoos represent great struggle and about overcoming them.
The tattoo on his body comes down to 3 things; his family, protection of his family, and about having a true warrior spirit forever.
Dwayne Johnson launched his partnership with Under Armour in January 2016. The first item from his collaboration with the athletic brand, a duffle bag, sold out within 24 hours. Since then, he’s released everything from clothes and wireless headphones to sneakers through his Project Rock collection for Under Armour. On May 28, 2018, The Rock’s Project Rock 1 shoes for Under Armour sold out in 30 minutes.
NO FREE APPLE iPHONES OR APPS
Remember in my last post, when I talked about Taylor Swift putting Apple iTunes on blast about free music? No? That’s ok. Here’s the link 😉
Well, now The Rock is working with Apple.
In May 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched an iPhone app, The Rock Clock, that’s essentially an alarm clock that wakes up users with exclusive inspirational video messages from the actor-wrestler. Users can also sync their alarms with The Rock’s so that they too can rise and shine at 4 a.m. every day to start their daily fitness routines. “Our goal was create a free, direct, uncomplicated, cool, motivating app to help us all get after our goals every morning,” the superstar explained on Instagram.
And remember this? iPhone 7 | The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day | Apple. If you look closely, you will see that fannie pack pic of him while he ‘s driving the Lyft car!!! 😂And in the video his manager calls him DJ. I would love an uncle DJ that can treat me to an ice cream anytime!
AND YOUTUBE
In July 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched his own YouTube channel. Original series on the channel include the cooking show “What The Rock Is Cooking” and “Millennials: The Musical,” a collaboration with “Moana” co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In January 2017, Dwayne Johnson launched Seven Bucks Digital Studios, a branch of his Seven Bucks Productions focusing on developing new original online content.
In April 2017, Dwayne Johnson returned to the role of Luke Hobbs in “The Fate of the Furious.” The eighth installment in the beloved “Fast & Furious” franchise opened worldwide to more than $541 million. At the time, it was the largest global opening of any film ever. (“Avengers: Infinity War” broke the record the following year.)
In July 2017, Dwayne Johnson starred in an ad campaign for Apple’s iPhone 7 and Siri titled “The Rock x Siri Dominate The Day.”
In September 2017, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia launched Seven Bucks Creative, a creative ad agency within their production company, Seven Bucks Productions. In March 2018, the company released its first campaign: two videos promoting The Rock’s Project Rock collection for Under Armour, naturally!
In December 2017, Dwayne Johnson headlined “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The reboot of the original 1995 family action flick “Jumanji” was a surprise sleeper hit, becoming Sony’s highest grossing film of all time domestically. It trucked along at the box office for months, becoming the first movie since 1998’s “Titanic” to open in December and top the box office in February. All in all, the film was so successful, Sony ordered another installment in the series for late 2019.
RAKING IN THE DOUGH BY THE TRUCKLOADS
In February 2018, before writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber had even penned a script, Universal and Legendary teamed up to win a bidding war for “Red Notice,” which Rawson describes as “a big international heist picture, that is tonally in the vein of ‘Ocean’s 11’ meets ‘True Lies’ by the way of ‘Thomas Crown Affair.'” The two studios agreed to finance the film at $160 million based on a pitch meeting and the fact that Dwayne Johnson is attached to star. (According to Deadline, the deal is the largest for a studio movie in Hollywood so far this year.) The Rock will reportedly bank $22 million plus backend to play “an Interpol agent who is tasked with catching the most wanted art thief in the world.”
In mid-July 2018, Forbes released its list of the world’s 100 highest paid entertainers. Dwayne Johnson came in at No. 5 behind Floyd Mayweather, George Clooney, Kylie Jenner and Judge Judy. “The former wrestler tallied the highest ever acting take-home in Celebrity 100 history, thanks to giant upfront paychecks and a cut of profits on blockbusters including ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.’ A huge social following allows him to negotiate an extra seven figures atop his standard contract for promotion, helping nearly double his 2017 earnings,” wrote Forbes. So how much exactly he is taking home in 2018? A whopping $124 million.
At this point, he is making money hand over fist. Just genius right there with his negotiations. I have no words.
Dwayne Johnson’s generosity is practically legendary. In late July 2018, he took to Instagram to share a video of himself surprising his longtime stunt double (and cousin) Tanoai Reed with a new truck. “Not only does Tanoai represent our family and my career with relentless commitment and passion. He also represents an entire Hollywood stunt community that is truly the backbone of our business,” The Rock wrote in the caption. Giving thanks where it’s due? That’s good business! Over the years, the wrestler-actor also bought a Lamborghini Gallardo for one of his cousins, a Cadillac Escalade for his dad, a Cadillac truck for his mom, a Honda Civic for another cousin, a Lexus SUV for yet another cousin, a Ford F-150 for an uncle and another Ford pickup truck for his longtime housekeeper.
As of August 2018, Dwayne Johnson is the most followed male entertainer on Instagram with 112 million followers.
As of this writing, he now has over 136 million followers on Instagram. He is the king of Insta!!!! He is the undisputed, follower for follower, heavyweight champ of IG!
Two snaps for you Dwayne!!! You Rock!!
He’s the seventh-most followed celebrity behind Selena Gomez, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner. According to Forbes, The Rock “insists on a separate seven-figure social media fee” for every movie in which he appears.” Basically, his social media accounts are worth millions in marketing and advertising dollars.
And that ladies and gentleman is how The Rock built his empire.
Here is his formula: Blood, Sweat, and Respect + Hard work and Consistency = Success.
And that’s how it’s done.
