Hulk Hogan Net Worth

What was Hulk Hogan's Net Worth and Salary?

Hulk Hogan was an American actor, wrestler, and reality television star who had a net worth of $25 million at the time of his death in July 2025. That net worth includes his Gawker.com settlement, which was initially $140 million but was ultimately reduced to $31 million before taxes. That number also takes into account the tens of millions Hulk Hogan lost as part of his divorce from ex-wife Linda Hogan.

During his contentious divorce proceedings with Linda, we learned that Hogan's net worth in 2007 was $30 million. Hulk was ultimately forced to fork over 70% of the couple's liquid assets, $3 million in cash to cover property settlements, and a 40% ownership stake in his various business entities. More details on their divorce settlement later in the next section below. Hulk has also admitted that he blew "hundreds of millions" on an extremely lavish lifestyle at the peak of his career in the 1990s.

Rising to fame in the 1980s during the golden age of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), Hogan became a global superstar thanks to his charismatic persona, signature catchphrases, and unmatched crowd appeal. With his towering physique, handlebar mustache, and red-and-yellow ring gear, Hogan helped transform wrestling into a mainstream spectacle, headlining multiple WrestleManias and playing a central role in launching WWF into pop culture prominence.

Hogan's first major breakthrough came in 1984 when he won the WWF Championship by defeating The Iron Sheik. He went on to hold the title multiple times and became the face of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" era, which blended music, entertainment, and sports. His rivalries with André the Giant, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior are considered some of the most memorable in wrestling history.

In the 1990s, Hogan made a dramatic heel turn and reinvented himself in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as the leader of the New World Order (nWo), a storyline that revitalized his career and helped WCW dominate ratings during the Monday Night Wars.

Outside the ring, Hogan starred in films like "No Holds Barred" and had a successful run in reality television with "Hogan Knows Best."

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Gawker Lawsuit

In 2012, Hulk Hogan had consensual sex with the wife of radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Unbeknownst to Hulk, Bubby secretly prearranged to have the encounter filmed with a surveillance camera. At some point later that year, the website Gawker.com came into possession of the sex tape. An editor decided to post a two-minute edited version of the encounter on their home page. After it was published, Hulk asked Gawker to remove the video. When they refused, Hogan filed a lawsuit claiming that Gawker had invaded his privacy. Hulk claimed that the video, which was posted without his permission, caused him "long-lasting humiliation."

Hulk's lawsuit initially sought $100 million in damages. On March 18, 2016, a Florida jury sided with Hulk. The jury initially ordered Gawker to pay a $115 million judgment. A few days later, the jury increased the judgment by $25 million, to $140 million. Gawker unsuccessfully appealed the judgment and was forced into a fire sale.

Gawker's CEO Nick Denton and the editor who physically posted the article were found to be PERSONALLY liable for $115 million worth of the $140 million judgment. In 2013, CEO Nick Denton claimed that "invasion of privacy has incredibly positive effects on society." The website also tried to claim that because Hulk was a public figure who had talked about his sex life on his reality show, the sex tape was newsworthy and therefore covered by fair use. The jury disagreed.

In calculating the judgment, the jury took into account the following two facts that were disclosed by Gawker's lawyers:

• 1) Gawker generated around $50 million in revenue in the prior year and had recently been valued at $80 million.
• 2) Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton's net worth at the time was $120 million on paper, based largely on the value of Gawker.

On August 1st, 2016, Nick Denton filed for personal bankruptcy. In the filing, he listed his only assets as his 30% stake in Gawker and his NYC apartment. He valued them at a combined $50 million, but potentially much less. He listed his liabilities at $150 million. In November 2016, Gawker settled with Hogan for $31 million.

Peter Thiel Connection

A few months after the initial judgment was rendered, it was revealed that Hulk's lawsuit was funded to the tune of $10 million by PayPal/Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel. Thiel held a grudge against Gawker and Nick Denton for outing him as gay. In 2007, Gawker published an article titled, "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people." Thiel said that the article and a series of others about his friends "ruined people's lives for no reason." In a 2009 interview, Thiel described Gawker's writers as terrorists. One of his friends convinced him to use his power and money to help other victims of Gawker's coverage defend themselves against the site's attacks.

"It's less about revenge and more about specific deterrence. I saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredible damaging way of getting attention by bullying people, even when there was no connection with the public interest."

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Early Life

Hulk Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia. When he was still a baby, the family relocated to Tampa, Florida, which Hulk has called home ever since. As a child, his sport of choice was baseball, and he was said to have attracted professional big league talent scouts as a Little Leaguer, but as with many other professional wrestlers, an injury ended his career in more traditional sports. He discovered professional wrestling at age 16, setting himself on the course that would change his life and the entire wrestling world.

Wrestling Career

Hulk Hogan is best known as one of the most influential and recognizable figures in professional wrestling history. His wrestling career began in humble fashion in 1977 with the Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) promotion, where he initially performed under the masked persona "The Super Destroyer." His towering physique and charisma soon drew attention, and a local TV host's comparison of Hogan to Lou Ferrigno—then starring as The Incredible Hulk—helped inspire the "Hulk" moniker. In 1979, while working with Vince McMahon Sr.'s World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he adopted the ring name Hulk Hogan, marking the birth of a persona that would become a global phenomenon.

Hogan's first run with the WWF ended in 1981 after he took a role as "Thunderlips" in Rocky III without McMahon Sr.'s approval. The film appearance, for which he was paid $15,000, introduced Hogan to a mainstream audience and significantly raised his profile. He returned to the WWF in 1983 under Vince McMahon Jr., who had taken over the company with a vision to nationalize and mainstream professional wrestling. Hogan was chosen to be the face of this transformation.

The gamble paid off. Hogan's popularity exploded in the mid-1980s, with the launch of "Hulkamania" and his now-iconic slogans like "Train, say your prayers, and eat your vitamins." He won his first WWF Championship in 1984 by defeating The Iron Sheik, and over the next decade, he became the centerpiece of wrestling's rise into pop culture. He headlined the first nine WrestleMania events, battling legends such as André the Giant, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior. At its peak, WWF pay-per-views like WrestleMania III drew over 30 million viewers globally.

In the mid-1990s, Hogan reinvented himself in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1996, he shocked the wrestling world by turning heel and forming the New World Order (nWo) with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. This move revitalized his career and helped WCW dominate the Monday Night Wars against WWF.

After WCW's collapse, Hogan returned to WWE (formerly WWF) in 2002 and had several high-profile matches, including a celebrated showdown with The Rock at WrestleMania X8. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

In February 2014, Hogan rejoined WWE after a multi-year absence, serving as host of WrestleMania XXX. However, in July 2015, he was released from WWE after racially charged comments from a past conversation were leaked. Despite the controversy, Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and began making limited appearances on WWE programming.

On January 23, 2023, he made a special appearance alongside longtime manager Jimmy Hart during the Raw is XXX 30th Anniversary special, once again stepping into the spotlight to celebrate his legacy.

Acting

Hulk Hogan leveraged his wrestling fame to launch a parallel career in acting. His big-screen debut came in 1982 when he played the role of Thunderlips in "Rocky III," a performance that introduced him to audiences beyond the wrestling world. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hogan pursued action-hero status with a series of family-friendly films, starring in titles such as "No Holds Barred," "Suburban Commando," and "Mr. Nanny." While these films received mixed reviews, they helped solidify Hogan's image as a pop culture fixture.

From 1993 to 1995, he starred in the syndicated television series "Thunder in Paradise," which combined elements of action, adventure, and sci-fi and became a cult favorite among fans. In the 2000s, Hogan embraced the reality TV boom with VH1's "Hogan Knows Best," a series that chronicled his home life and relationships with his then-wife Linda and their children, Brooke and Nick. The show was a ratings success and introduced Hogan to a new generation of viewers.

In more recent years, he has made occasional guest appearances, including a 2019 cameo on the ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs," where he portrayed himself in a nostalgic tribute to the 1980s.

Product Endorsements

Hogan has always been a very savvy merchandiser and marketer and has a variety of different businesses under his belt. In 1995, he opened Pastamania, his own signature pasta restaurant in the Mall of America in Minnesota. It closed after one year.

Hulk has also claimed to have been the original choice to endorse what became known as the George Foreman Grill. Instead, he chose to endorse a meatball maker. This decision essentially cost Hogan $200 million:

In 2006, he launched his own energy drink, Hogan Energy, and shortly after that, a line of frozen cheeseburgers, "Hulkster Burgers," began appearing on store shelves. In 2012, he opened Hogan's Beach, a restaurant in his hometown of Tampa, and after that business relationship dissolved, he opened Hogan's Hangout in nearby Clearwater Beach.

According to the Wrestling Figure Checklist, Hogan has had 171 different action figures produced between the 1980s and 2010s from various manufacturers and promotions.

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Personal Life

Hulk married Linda Claridge in December of 1983. They have two children together: daughter Brooke Hogan and son Nick Hogan. After rumors of Hulk's infidelity, Linda filed for divorce in 2007. At the time, divorce filings showed that Hulk Hogan's net worth was $30 million. That's the same as having a net worth of $45 million today. It was also revealed that Hulk had invested his money in several businesses and real estate around Florida. Hogan still earns money from merchandise sales and residuals with his brand, Hulk Hogan.

In December 2010, Hulk married Jennifer McDaniel after more than two years of dating. In February 2022, Hogan announced on Twitter that they had divorced. He married his third wife, yoga instructor Sky Daily, on September 22, 2023.

Divorce Settlement

When Hulk and Linda Hogan's divorce was finalized, he ended up being forced to pay her 70% of the couple's liquid assets, $3 million in cash to cover real estate settlements, plus an ongoing 40% ownership stake in his various businesses. In a radio interview in 2011, Hulk admitted that the divorce brought him essentially to the brink of bankruptcy. Linda did not receive alimony, but she did receive $7.44 million of the $10.41 million they held in bank and investment accounts. She also got to keep a Mercedes-Benz, a Corvette, and a Cadillac Escalade.

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Real Estate

In 1992, Hulk paid $2 million for a waterfront property in Belleair, Florida. He quickly demolished the existing home and proceeded to spend the next several years building an opulent mansion that ultimately encompassed more than 17,000 square feet. Construction was completed in 1996. This is the home that viewers saw between 2005 and 2007 on the reality show "Hogan Knows Best."

In 2006, perhaps in anticipation of their looming separation, Linda and Hulk listed the home for sale for an eye-opening $26 million. Two years later, the financial crisis and real estate downturn struck, and by this point, the two had separated and were looking to liquidate assets so they could split and move forward. In August 2009, the price was lowered to $13.9 million. The price was chopped again and again until Hulk finally accepted $6.2 million in April 2012. That's $19 million less than the original list price.

In 2014, Hulk paid $3 million for a home in nearby Clearwater, Florida. In 2016, he paid $1.6 million for the home next door.

Death

On July 24, 2025, Hulk Hogan died at the age of 71, reportedly from a cardiac incident.

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