Tag Archives: Jennifer Lawrence

Nearly Half Of Americans Have $0 Invested in The Stock Market

No Money, Poor, Money, No, Crisis

According to a study done by NYU economist Edward Wolff, 84% of stocks are owned by the richest 10% of American households.

Even more extreme than this is the fact that the top 1% hold 50% of all stocks in America. Meaning a teeny tiny amount of Americans own trillions of dollars, and a vast majority own nothing. That type of inequality is just sad.

So many Americans are locked out of a real wealth machine by not being invested in Mr. Market.

Who is Mr. Market?

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is an American stock exchange on Wall Street in New York City. With a market cap of more than US$16 trillion, the NYSE is the world’s largest stock exchange, averaging US$169 billion in daily trading value in 2013.

That would mean the richest 1% own approximately $8 Trillion worth of stocks.

Sadly, only 52% of Americans were invested in stocks.

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GALLUP
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Let’s fast forward just five years.

According to Barron’s, the stock market is worth $30 Trillion as of 2018. You see that?! The stock market has almost doubled in size! This is tremendous.

In 2008, most portfolios lost half of their value. Now look at us today. The S&P has more than tripled since the Recession! A trillion here, a trillion there and boom we have almost double the assets we had in 2013, the same year LeBron won his second championship ring with the Miami Heat.

Therefore, as of last year the richest 1% now own $16 Trillion dollars of wealth in the stock market.

The richest 10% has a mind-boggling $25.2 Trillion in stock wealth! Each owing over $900,000 in stocks.

Keep in mind that the bottom 50% of the poorest households have virtually no wealth as many have $0 in savings and investments.

The U.S. stock market has been on fire as it returned 22% last year.

With a 220% increase over the last decade, that means the rich are getting richer.

You need to get a piece of that stock pie in the sky

Why is it so important that you invest in Mr. Market? It’s simple. Investing is how you beat inflation.

With inflation averaging 2-3% annually, you must find a way to out run it. Investing will help you do just that.

I do not want you to miss out on the next $8 Trillion the market may gain over the next decade or so. Don’t sit on the bench! Get out there and get in the game! Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Wealth building takes time.

It’s a long game. You may need a decade or more to build some significant assets.

Did you that know with an interest rate of 10% your money doubles every 7.2 years? It’s true. It is because of the rule of 72, which states that a certain amount of compound interest will dictate how much you can earn over time.

I feel like that scene in Oliver Twist when he asks for more. But instead of food, I want dividends! My advice t to you is to invest!!!

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Yes, give me some of that compound interest. It’s raining dividends and capital gains.

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The first $100,000 is the hardest!

No matter how much you earn, it will take time to grow your wealth to something much grander over time.

Even with a nice return, the majority of your first $100,000 will come from your savings. The higher amount you save, the faster you achieve this goal.

I cut back on everything to get to through this first hurtle on the wealth accumulation phase.

I skipped the movies, $7 lattes, fancy vacations, new cars, clothes, subscriptions services, and nights out on the town. Put that money to work. Don’t act rich, get rich!

I know some guys that want to be rich, but spend like the world is flat like Columbus said; so they think we are going to fall off the edge and it is all going to end tomorrow, so you gotta treat yourself!

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These poor souls decided to buy bottle service for a friends 45th birthday. The cost: $4,000! They split it between like four or five people.

Here is a little background on one of the fellas, let’s call him Scotty.

Scotty is still renting after being unable to afford to buy a home. Instead of banking his money for a down payment, he’s tossing around G’s more than Floyd Mayweather after signing a $100 million-dollar deal.

Sorry my man, hate to break it to you, but you ain’t “Money” Mayweather and don’t have his bank account.

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Forget that! I would rather be financially independent than act rich for a couple of hours.

And the ladies loved that he spent that $1,000 on that bottle service. But then you know what happened at the end of the night, when the lights came on? All the ladies left!

I guess it was all about the bottle service. That’s just money down the drain right there. Bad money decisions happen everyday.

Maybe it really is like Jamie Foxx said, “blame it on the alcohol.”

Regardless, I want you to put that money in Mr. Market and let it grow.

If you are worried about downturns, then hedge your bets by putting money into savings as well.

Since it usually takes about 10-16 months for the stock market to recover from a crash, keep that amount of money in your savings. This will let you ride out the storm.

The goals is to not have $0 in your bank account. Something is always better than nothing.

Now save up that first $3,000, go open up a Roth IRA with a discount brokerage firm and go get started.

Don’t have $3,000 just lying around? No problem. If you can spare $100 bucks?

If so, then you can use the Automatic Asset Builder that lets you invest for just $100 a month with places like T. Rowe Price or Charles Schwab.

Now let’s go get this money. No excuses! I just gave you all the information you needed to get started.

Happy investing! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

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Accidentally Wealthy on Purpose: An Interview with Accidental FIRE

Man, Business, Adult, Suit, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency

“We gonna win more. We gonna live more. We the best.” – DJ Khaled

I know what you’re thinking. How do you accidentally get wealthy on purpose. Well guess what? You’re about to find out.

This latest blogger interview comes from Dave of Accidental FIRE.

I reached out to him after seeing his name on like 20,000 blogs.

Here’s how it went down because as you know it goes down in the DM. ๐Ÿคฃ

I sent this tweet out after seeing a post Dave published. I thought it had an inspiring title. So I retweeted it.

To my surprise, Dave responded. ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

So I responded to Dave. ๐Ÿ˜

That’s when he told me to hit him up in the DM! ๐Ÿ˜‰

So yes ladies and gents, this post happened from a tweet!

He seems as passionate about writing and blogging as I do!

I was born for this, born for this It’s who I am, how could I forget? – Macklemore

Let’s get right down to it! It goes down in the DM!!! It goes down. It goes down!!! ๐Ÿ˜‚ Yo Gotti – Down In The DM

The blog and the interview was done by Miriam of Greenbacks Magnet, but those lyrics up top are by Yo Gotti.

INTRODUCING 

Welcome aboard all! All are welcome!

Welcome to Greenbacks Magnet. Home of attracting Greenbacks like Magnets! ๐ŸคฃCan I help you find financial freedom?

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I want to thank you all for coming along this financial journey with me as I study the self-made and do blog interviews. You know, you are all my copilot’s on this magic carpet ride.

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In the illustrious words of #Aladdin Genie, “You ain’t never ever had a friend like meeeee!!!”๐Ÿคฃ

Let’s Meet Dave!!!

I actually met Dave at FinCon. He was positive and had a great attitude. That was the thing I remember about him most. He may not have known it but I thought to myself now there’s someone I would not mind working with. ๐Ÿค”

And here we are today.

Another day, another breath (another breath)
Been chasing dreams, but I never slept (I never slept) – Glorious Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey

I told Dave I thought he was one of the hardest working men in the blog business. I said that because I would go to read a post by a personal finance blogger and he would have already been there and posted the very first comment!

I couldn’t keep up with him! And I work HARD!!!

I remember seeing a comment on one blog post he did and he said, “Oh get out the popcorn. I see an interesting comments section coming on this post.”

Yep, that’s Dave.

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What it felt like to meet Dave at FinCon.

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He’s a genuine guy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Let’s talk about how Dave caught on financial FIRE!

DAVE STARTS A FINANCIAL FIRE BLOG

GBM: Hey Dave!! You should let me interview you for the blog! 5 questions tops! If it will get this ball rolling. I know you’re busy, but I promise to keep it short and snappy. Scouts honor. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Dave: Hey Miriam, I will have to ponder these and will get back to you, interesting questions ๐Ÿ˜‰ 

What is FIRE? It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.

There are tons of blogs out there on the topic.

I even wrote a post called How do you play with FIRE?

WHAT IS FIRE?

According to Camp Fire Finance, the elevator pitch for FIRE is this, โ€œWhen your investments generate enough money to cover your annual expenses youโ€™re financially independent (FI). At that point work is optional and you can retire early (RE) if you want to.โ€

Basically, you have more than enough money coming in to stop working. Usually, this requires anywhere from $1 million to $5 million dollars depending on what you want or need to spend to maintain your lifestyle or that of the one you dream of having.

For example, if you decide you want to withdraw at least $80,000 a year, you would need to have a $2-million-dollar portfolio.

This is how I visualize myself on FIRE! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’‹

Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games was serving them eye candy with that dress. It was literally ON FIRE!!!

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To stay on theme, I will pick this image for Dave. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Let’s get to the interview. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Dave: Hey Miriam, here are my responses.

1. How did you come up with your blog name?

I named my blog Accidental FIRE because I reached FI accidentally – meaning I wasn’t intentionally trying to get to a point where I didn’t have to work anymore.  I just wanted as much of a nest egg as I could get because I come from a background and family that has no money.  So it was about building security in my life.  But when I discovered the 4% etc it then accidentally became about working less too.

Accidental Fire

Good for you! ๐Ÿ‘

It’s great to have goals. I call that a win!

Win, Word, Scrabble, Letters, Wooden

GBM Miriam: Some people may think building a nest egg from the ground up is impossible. I say personal finance is not rocket science. It is about earning, saving, and consistency.


Thanks for keeping it ๐Ÿ’ฏand sharing that.

2. Any favorite finance books? What’s on your nightstand?

My favorite financial book is “The Simple Path To wealth” by JL Collins because it does the best job of boiling the basics down to make a FI path, well, simple.  On my nightstand now are two books “War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars”, and “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure”.  Also my eyeglasses and a candle.

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Well ok โœŒThat’s some good reading material right there. ๐Ÿ‘

GBM Miriam: I am actually reading The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins right now! I guess great minds think alike! ๐Ÿ˜‰

This was me in school. ๐Ÿ˜‚

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Even today, if I’m not reading, I like to exercise. ๐Ÿคฃ I like to keep busy. No idle hands.

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I still read comic books too! My favorite is Red Sonja.

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She Devil with a Sword

Fun Fact: The Marvel comic Red Sonja was turned into a film in 1985 starring one of my favorite self-made people to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger.

โ€œDonโ€™t focus on getting to $1 million; focus on getting to $2 million.โ€ โ€“ Arnold Schwarzenegger

I heard that little gem when Mr. Schwarzenegger was doing a radio interview.

I’ve learned to make every dollar count. Focus on turning every $1 into $2. Instead of $1 million focus on $2 million. I learned that from @Schwarzenegger ๐Ÿ˜‰

Just my 2 cents. Smooches ๐Ÿ’‹

Did this book inspire this post I wonder? ๐Ÿค”

3. What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume?

I’m a pretty good juggler.

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Awesome! ๐Ÿ‘That’s pretty cool.

4. What’s in your wallet? How did you start building wealth?


If you mean what kind of credit card I have a US Bank VISA that gives great reward points and that I use for everything.  I started building wealth as soon as I started working when I was 16, I’ve always spent less than I made.  But I started supercharging my wealth-building after reading a copy of Money magazine in 1995 and putting money in index funds.

Nice! ๐Ÿ‘Œ

GBM Miriam: I actually started after reading a Kiplinger magazine around 2007. I also put my money in index funds like the VFINX 500 index with Vanguard, which tracks an index like the S&P 500.

I try to save and invest over 40% of my income.

Although it is now closed to new investors you can put money into the VTSAX which is 80% comprised of the 500 largest companies in the United States.

Your story on how you grew up and got started building wealth reminds me of the song Glorious from Macklemore.

I feel glorious, glorious Got a chance to start again!

I loved it in the Crazy Rich Asians movie trailer.

5. What 80’s film best describes your relationship with money or the lifestyle you would like to have?

I guess I’d pick “Stand By Me” It doesn’t have much to do with money but I love the movie because it reminds me of my childhood – being in a small pack of super close friends and exploring and maybe sometimes getting into thins we shouldn’t have.  And I’m still friends with all those guys today so it’s fun to reminisce about when we were younger and our knees didn’t hurt so much!

I hear you! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Love that movie! It had some inspiring words. Love the 80’s. ๐Ÿ’–

You know? Dialogue like this. ๐Ÿคฃ

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GBM Miriam: Seriously, though that film makes me tear up at the end every time. A great coming of age story about friendship.

Why we blog about finances?

I’ll let Skylar Grey answer that:

We gon’ be alright, put that on my life
When I open my eyes, hope I see you shine
Now I feel glorious, glorious
I feel glorious, glorious

Well, we have come to the end of this interview. Hope you had fun.

Here at Greenbacks Magnet we like to have fun. And I had a blast!!!

GBM Miriam: Thank you Dave for stopping by!! I sure hope we will see each other again at the next money meets media conference as FinCon19 is coming to DC! But if not, there is always Twitter and DM’s. ๐Ÿ˜‰

I bid you all farewell. Until we meet or tweet again.

I will give you one of my farewell messages that I tweet as a show of my appreciate for you hanging out with me here at Greenbacks Magnet.

Hope you had fun with me today and my Lipstick confessions. I must bid you all a good night. And go back to my regular identity. May the 80s live on forever in our hearts. Smooches๐Ÿ’‹ Greenbacks Magnet

Shows over Synergy. #Jem

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Are you surprised I sent this tweet? Well, don’t be. I told you I loved the 80’s!!!

Hey Dave!!! Thank you. Appreciate that quick turnaround right there!

ACF Dave: thanks Miriam ๐Ÿ‘

Remember how I said I saw Dave on like 20,000 blogs. Well, I guess that is a popular number.

Got 20, 000 deep off in the street like we some warriors
My mama told me never bow your head, woo! – Macklemore

But this time, you can take a bow and bow your head Dave. You were a great guest to have. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

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Want more on purpose money advice from Dave of Accidental FIRE?

Visit his website Accidental FIRE and Follow him on Twitter @Accidental_Fire and

Dwayne Johnson: The Rock Solid and The Fast and The Furious Way To Make Millions

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โ€œSuccess isnโ€™t always about โ€˜Greatnessโ€™, itโ€™s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.โ€ โ€“ Dwayne Johnson

Well unless you have been living under a Rock, then you have heard of the name Dwayne โ€œThe Rockโ€ Johnson.

One of the most successful wrestlers to come out of the WWE of all time.

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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 filmโ€™s director, Jon M. Chu, in the 2013 sci-fi action film โ€œG.I. Joe: Retaliation,โ€ with Bruce Willis.

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Regardless, The Rock isnโ€™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.

Iโ€™m about to open up The Rockโ€™s wallet and give you a peek inside.  

Letโ€™s smell what The Rock is cookinโ€™ 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 fatherโ€™s work as a professional wrestler, the family was constantly in flux and bouncing around from place to place.

Wrestling is in The Rockโ€™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 doesnโ€™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, โ€œWhat can I do with these two hands?โ€ That is when he decided to start working out.

“The successful menย I knew wereย 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 โ€œall the time.โ€

KICK ROCKS

โ€œIโ€™ll never, ever be full. Iโ€™ll always be hungry. Obviously, Iโ€™m not talking about food.

Growing up, I had nothing for such a long time.โ€ โ€“ 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 wrasslinโ€™.

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 hadnโ€™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, youโ€™re going to go into wrestling, right?’

“And heโ€™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

โ€œ1995. $7 Bucks In My Pocket. I Knew Two Things: Iโ€™m Broke As Hell and One Day I Wonโ€™t Beโ€ โ€“ 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 ๐Ÿ˜‰

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!

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โ€œWhen You Walk Up To Opportunityโ€™s Door: Donโ€™t Knock It. Kick That Bitch In, Smile and Introduce Yourselfโ€ โ€“ 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 peopleโ€™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.

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Keep in mind, Writing isn’t generally a high-paying gigโ€”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.

ย 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.

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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 Greatnessโ€ โ€“ The Rock

Dwayne โ€œThe Rockโ€ 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 2001โ€™s โ€œThe Mummy Returns.โ€

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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.

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CAA, short for Creative Artists Agency, is also one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the world.

GIVING BACK

โ€œI Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me Todayโ€ โ€“ 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!!!

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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 TRUCKINGโ€ฆALL 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-comedyโ€ฆ. even though (spoiler alert!) his character gets killed off just 15 minutes into the movie.

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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 heโ€™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!!!

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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

โ€œLet Actions Do Your Talkin For You, (Unless Youโ€™re Telling A Good Dirty Joke)โ€

In an Essence magazine article, he was asked what he was wearing while talking over the phone. His answer: A thong. Backwards. ๐ŸคฃYour boy has got jokes!!!

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The Rock is now taking life a quarter mile at a time.

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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.

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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 โ€œWake Up Call.โ€

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: At 23, I Had Only $7 In My Pocket โ€” Then I Turned My Life Around

According to Business Insider, โ€œIn 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.โ€

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!!!๐Ÿ’ฐ Cha ching! ๐Ÿ˜‚

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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. Heโ€™s been cancelled more times than checks!

BLOOD, SWEAT, AND RESPECT

โ€œBlood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You Earnโ€ โ€“ 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).

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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!

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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.

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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 Bolsรธ 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 Universeโ€™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.

โ€œWith Drive And A Bit Of Talent, You Can Move Mountainsโ€ โ€“ 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.

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Alas, as of this writing, it doesnโ€™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.

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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

โ€œSuccess at anything will always come down to this: Focus & Effort, and we control both.โ€ โ€“ The Rock

The Rockโ€™s iconic tattoo.

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The tattoos are beliefs of his ancestors from his fatherโ€™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.

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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? Thatโ€™s ok. Hereโ€™s the link ๐Ÿ˜‰

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.

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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!!! ๐Ÿ˜‚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.)

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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.

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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.

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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!!

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 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.

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Here is his formula: Blood, Sweat, and Respect + Hard work and Consistency = Success. ย ย 

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And that’s how it’s done.

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