Steve Austin Net Worth

Steve Austin became one of the biggest stars of WWE’s Attitude Era in the late 1990s With his beer-swilling, anti-hero persona of “Stone Cold.” 

His rise from modest beginnings to popping arena crowds during the Monday Night Wars made him one of the wealthiest wrestlers ever. During his WWE career, he amassed numerous championships and titles.

Today, we look at how Austin has built a million-dollar net worth and remained a pop culture staple.

Steve Austin’s astounding net worth

As one of the biggest stars in WWE history, Austin has amassed an astounding net worth estimated at around $45 million as of 2023. 

Austin’s income still includes professional wrestling, acting, royalties, and merchandising revenue from WWE, as well as his ventures. Sources estimate his current WWE salary to be around $3 million annually. 

He likely earned huge money during his peak years with WWE in the late 1990s and early 2000s Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras, estimated between $5-$12 million annually. 

The Texas Rattlesnake doesn’t do many endorsements nowadays in retirement, but he is the face of his successful Broken Skull IPA beer brand, which brought in around $3.66 million in stock sales in 2021. Austin also has a massive Instagram following of 6 million.

Steve Austin is one of the wealthiest wrestlers to exist till now (Source: Forbes)

As part of WWE, Austin participates in Make-A-Wish, which boosts the company’s charitable profile. He also participated in the “We’re Texas” charity event, assisting Texans impacted by winter storms. 

In terms of properties, Austin sold one of his Los Angeles homes for $2.5 million in 2021. He owns a 2,724-square-foot single-level farm-style home with a Mediterranean flair. 

His Broken Skull Ranch in Texas boasts iron and glass doors, a mud tile roof, and a large garden area with a pool, spa, and porch. A known auto enthusiast, Austin has worked since college to acquire an impressive collection of luxury rides. 

Through his wrestling career earnings, merchandising, acting, and ventures like his beer brand, Austin has amassed a fortune fitting his legendary status in the business. He continues to profit handsomely even in retirement.

Steve Austin retired from wrestling in 2003

Austin, nicknamed “Stone Cold,” had a highly successful wrestling career that peaked in WWE (then WWF) during the late 1990s. After training in Dallas, he wrestled under his real name before adopting Steve Austin’s moniker in the USWA in the late 1980s. 

In 1991, he joined WCW as “Stunning” Steve Austin and won his first singles title, the WCW Television Championship, that year. He went on to hold multiple titles in WCW, often portraying a heel character. 

Steve Austin at Wrestlemania38 (Source: The Sun)

However, feeling held back, he joined the WWF in 1995 at the urging of Kevin Nash and Jim Ross. Now portraying the no-nonsense “Stone Cold” persona, Austin defeated Jake “The Snake” Roberts to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. 

This launched his rise to superstardom through feuding with Mr. McMahon. Following that, between 1995-1999, he won numerous titles, including 4 WWF/WWE Championships. 

His signature move was the Stone Cold Stunner. His rebellious, anti-hero character ushered in the WWF Attitude Era. However, injuries forced Austin to retire in 2003 officially. 

He continued appearing for WWE in non-wrestling roles, such as Sheriff of Raw from 2003-2004. Austin cemented his legacy as one of the biggest stars in wrestling history through his “Stone Cold” persona in the late 90s.

Steve Austin’s championships and accomplishments

Over his storied career, Austin amassed an impressive list of championships and other accolades that showcase his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers ever. 

He is a 3-time winner of WWE’s Royal Rumble match, a record at the time and recognized by Guinness World Records. He held the top WWE Championship an impressive six times during the Attitude Era when he was the face of the company. 

He also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice and the Tag Team Championship 4 times with partners like Shawn Michaels and Triple H. His victory in the 1996 King of the Ring tournament launched his famous “Austin 3:16” catchphrase. 

Steve Austin with one of his championship belts (Source: Pro wrestling stories)

Before joining WWE, he held singles and tag team gold in WCW, including a 2-time WCW United States Champion and 1-time WCW Tag Team Champion as part of the Hollywood Blonds with Brian Pillman. 

By winning the WWE, Intercontinental, and Tag Team titles, Austin completed the fifth WWE Triple Crown. He won numerous Wrestler of the Year and Feud of the Year awards from respected wrestling publications. 

Austin was introduced into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 and ranked number one of the top 500 singles wrestlers for two straight years by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. His PI awards included Feud of the Year, Match of the Year, and Most Popular Wrestler in 1998. 

With his multiple championship reigns and industry accolades, Austin established himself as arguably the biggest superstar of WWE’s heralded Attitude Era.

Steve Austin’s career in acting and hosting

After retiring from wrestling, Austin pursued acting roles and hosting opportunities to stay in the spotlight. He landed guest roles on shows like Celebrity Deathmatch and Nash Bridges in the early 2000s. 

Austin’s film debut was a supporting part as a correctional officer in the 2005 Longest Yard remake. His first starring role came in the 2007 action movie The Condemned, where he played a convict forced to compete in an illegal deathmatch. 

He appeared in several more direct-to-DVD action films, like The Expendables, Hunt to Kill, and Maximum Conviction. He also played the recurring character Hugo Panzer on the TV series Chuck. In 2013, he launched his popular weekly podcast, The Steve Austin Show. By 2015, it averaged nearly 800,000 weekly downloads, totaling almost 200 million. 

In 2018, he merged his more adult-oriented Unleashed podcast into the main family-friendly show to appeal to sponsors. His podcast partnered with WWE Network, airing live specials since 2014. Austin hosted several reality competition shows, including Redneck Island on CMT from 2012-2016 and Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge starting in 2014. 

In 2019, he began an interview segment on WWE Network called Broken Skull Sessions, named after his Texas ranch. The first episode featured The Undertaker. 

Through his podcast and reality shows, along with appearances in films and TV series, Austin remained highly visible after exiting the wrestling world. His non-wrestling projects allowed him to further capitalize on his stardom and attract a broad audience across different media platforms.