Ric Flair, aka Nature Boy, is a prodigiously successful professional wrestler. In fact, he is considered by several colleagues and fans as the greatest professional wrestler of all time.
With a career spanning over 50 years, Ric Flair is recognized by wrestling’s international governing body as a 16-time world champion. Outside of the WWE however, the number of Ric Flair’s world championships is recognized as anywhere between 16 and 25. However, Nature Boy himself once claimed he had 21 world wins across the major wrestling championships: WWF, WCW and the NWA.
What is Ric Flair’s Net Worth?
Now retired, and with a new career in wrestling management, things are probably not as financially buoyant for Ric Flair as they were at the peak of his career, especially when he had the opportunity to amass wealth in the millions. While active, Flair had multiple streams of income aside from pro wrestling; he earned from pay-per-view attractions, brand promotions, and public appearances.
However, Ric Flair’s current net worth as reported by Celebrity Net Worth is pegged at a meager $500,000. This is quite a shocking downturn, especially for someone who hosted Starrcade ten times. Flair himself also once appeared on The Breakfast Club and confessed he once made $800,000 a year in two separate years. So what happened to Ric Flair and all his money?
How did Ric Flair lose his money?
In a classic tale of overspending, Ric Flair spent exorbitant amounts on custom-made suits, jewelry, dining out, and flashy robes to maintain his image. His robe budget alone was astronomical – he once spent $40,000 on a single robe just because he liked it. Beyond the basic costs of living, however, Flair spent at least $14,000 on Christmas gifts, and $200,000 on jewelry annually. He also owned numerous expensive cars, despite having little to no need for them. Altogether, his extravagant spending on non-essentials drained his bank account.
As if his spendthrift lifestyle was not enough, Ric Flair also lacked financial planning and foresight. He made terrible investment decisions by pouring money into various shady schemes and businesses, without doing due diligence. For example, there was Ric Flair Finance, an illegal enterprise he invested heavily in just because his name was attached. As a result, he lost significant money when the operation was shut down. Flair also took out loans he could not repay, resulting in a slew of lawsuits and defaults.
Moving on to Ric Flair’s tax issues, which made headlines for the better part of two decades. These started as far back as the early 1990s, and went on until 2018. The IRS seized his earnings multiple times, delivering huge blows to his net worth. Subsequently, Ric Flair had to take loans from Vince McMahon, just to pay off some of his tax debts.
On the romance front, Ric Flair wasn’t doing so well either, which added more blows to his fortune. Five expensive divorces further drained Flair’s bank account over the years. He spent significant sums on alimony, asset splits, lawyers, and other divorce-related costs. And as if these weren’t enough, Flair developed a heart condition in 2019 that set him back $1.9 million with no health insurance coverage.
So where is Ric Flair now?
Believe it or not, Ric Flair never stays down for too long! He recently signed a multi-year deal with AEW, although his exact on-screen role is unclear. He has also expressed his desire to manage Andrade El Idolo, his son-in-law, who is still signed with CJ Perry. Moreover, Flair’s Wooooo! Energy drink sponsors AEW, and he has other business ventures, including a virtual restaurant chain and a marijuana product line. Aside from these, Flair supplements his income through sponsorship deals, merchandise, and appearances. Indeed, his bank account isn’t what it used to be, but it’s going back up, bit by bit.
Published: Jan 26, 2024 07:04 am