Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently shared that he feels fortunate to have been part of WWE during the wrestling industry’s peak popularity and the height of his iconic persona’s popularity.
The era known as the Attitude Era was a transformative period in WWE — then called WWF— when raw, edgy content pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on live television, aligning with the surge of reality TV.
The term “WWF Attitude” was used to describe its programming from Nov. 9, 1997, to May 6, 2002.
The Rock, Johnson’s charismatic alter ego, was a larger-than-life personality who often spoke in the third person, consistently positioning himself as the main event — a superstar who eventually earned $15 million a year at the peak of his fame.
Speaking on Patrick Bet-David’s “PBD Podcast” in an interview uploaded this week, Johnson, who now serves on the TKO Group Holdings board of directors, shared insights into his early WWE career.
TKO is the parent company formed after the merger of WWE and UFC, representing a powerhouse in sports entertainment, with Johnson’s involvement showing his ongoing influence in the industry.
“As I became The Rock, [Vince McMahon] wanted to renegotiate my contract two to three years in,” Johnson said. “He said, ‘Are you going to have an agent? Are you looking for an agent?’ ‘I’m not. I’d like to negotiate with you directly. How we met was with a handshake, and I believe how we’re going to do this is with a handshake.’ Handshakes are very important to me. I always say my handshake is better than anything I ever sign. He said, ‘Great. I love that. I respect it. What are you thinking?’ I said, ‘Who is the highest paid, if you don’t mind me asking. Between us, who is the highest paid on the roster?’ He said, ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin.’ ‘What’s his guarantee?’ ‘One million dollars.’ ‘I want two.’ ‘Two million?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Guaranteed?’ ‘Yes.'”
Johnson revealed that his introduction to WWE came with a five-year contract worth $150,000 per year, which was meant to cover all his expenses, including travel and living costs.
With an expectation of wrestling 250 matches annually, Johnson earned roughly $600 per match.
As his persona evolved and his star power grew, he knew he needed to renegotiate his contract to reflect his newfound status as one of WWE’s top attractions.
Referencing the salary of Stone Cold Steve Austin, a Texas-based wrestler whose persona rivaled The Rock’s, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson — who is half Samoan and half Black —initially demanded $2 million during contract renegotiations with WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
Recognizing The Rock’s potential, McMahon persuaded the rising star to reconsider his asking price, encouraging him to first learn the business side of the wrestling industry.
“I didn’t take three months. It was maybe two weeks. It was baptism by fire, and I learned to absorb as much as I could about the business. I went back to Vince, I thanked him and gave him a big hug. I said, ‘I understand now. I’d like to match it at a million dollars, what Steve is getting. Thank you for taking me through it.’ We had a great conversation and he said, ‘How much do you think you’re going to make this year?’ ‘My guarantee is a million. I’ve been averaging about 50% over my guarantee. So, maybe 1.5?’ He said, ‘Now that you’ve taken yourself through that and understand the business, you’re going to make $15 million.’ He did the math and could see where it goes. ‘You’ll make $15 million.’
The revelation was The Rock soon learned that he was worth $15 million between 1999 and 2000.
