How does "The Rock" manage to make so much money?
What's the story
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson grabbed the numero uno slot in the World's Highest Paid actors list, released by Forbes recently. With a stunning income of $89.4mn between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, the former professional wrestler retains his reputation of being one of the richest actors globally. But how does he manage to earn so much? Let's dive right into it.
Details
But first, the list; 4th position has an Indian connection
Dwayne is followed by Avengers stars Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr., with earnings around $76.4mn and $66mn, respectively. Bollywood's current king, Akshay Kumar is ranked 4th, having earned $65mn in the said period. Jackie Chan sits on the 5th place, followed by Bradley Cooper and Adam Sandler in a tie. The next three slots belong to Chris Evans, Paul Rudd and Will Smith.
2018
Last year, George Clooney was number 1 in the list
Back to Dwayne, he was ranked 2nd in last year's list, which was topped by Ocean's Eleven actor George Clooney, who is nowhere in the top ten in this year's list. The 47-year-old actor, who made his debut in 2001 with The Mummy Returns, also made it to the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World lists in 2016 and 2019.
Decision
Dwayne chooses his roles keeping public image in mind
So, how could a former wrestler become the highest paid actor in the world? That's because Dwayne is a favorite of the masses, and he knows how to keep his audiences happy. Probably keeping in mind his public image, he chooses his roles, like that of Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious franchise, his most successful box office role till date.
Recognition
He helped 'The Fast and the Furious' become top-grossing franchises
His first appearance as Hobbs was in Fast Five (2011), and it can be safely said that Dwayne helped the film become one of the top-grossing movie franchises in history. His character was so popular that it led to a The Fast and the Furious spin-off movie, Hobbs & Shaw (2019), co-featuring Jason Statham and Idris Elba. The film grossed $445mn worldwide.
Movies
He also follows the twenty-twenty deal for his films
Owing to his popularity, Dwayne commands a stunning eight figures for acting in films like Baywatch and Jumanji. He also follows the twenty-twenty deal, in which he'll collect up to $23.5mn upfront (his quote for the forthcoming Jumanji: The Next Level) and would get 15% of the gross profit from high-paying franchise movies, like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which collected $962.1mn worldwide.
TV appearance
For HBO show 'Ballers,' Dwayne gets $700,000 per episode
He is also the face of Ballers, a comedy-drama TV series, which is aired on HBO. Starring as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player, Dwayne gets a lucrative $700,000 per episode of the show. The series, which started in 2015, will have its fifth season on the channel in August this year. This will however be the last season for the show.
Endorsement deals
He earns seven figures in royalties from Under Armour
The superstar also earns through endorsement deals, which he has with companies like Ford and Under Armour. Last year, it was said that he earned an estimated $40mn a year from these deals. This year, Forbes reported that from Under Armour, a footwear, sports, and casual apparel manufacturer, he earns seven figures in royalties for his line of clothing, shoes and headphones.