Brian Nichols is the co-founder of Angel Squad, a community where you’ll learn how to angel invest and get a chance to invest as little as $1k into Hustle Fund's top performing early-stage startups

Dwayne Johnson started with $7 in his pocket when he moved to Miami after being cut from his Canadian football league team in 1995. He went to WWE, became one of the most recognized names in professional wrestling, pivoted to Hollywood, and is now estimated to be worth $800 million, roughly $757 million more than he started with.

That trajectory didn't happen by accident. Johnson made a very deliberate set of decisions about what his brand stood for and which businesses could credibly attach to it.

The WWE and Hollywood Foundation

Johnson entered WWE in 1996 and became one of its biggest stars as "The Rock," a name derived from his father Rocky Johnson, the first Black WWE champion alongside Tony Atlas. He transitioned to acting in 2001, building a film career that eventually made him one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors consistently earning over $100 million per year.

He co-founded Seven Bucks Productions in 2012 with his ex-wife and business partner Dany Garcia, named for the $7 he had in his pocket in 1995. The production company has been behind numerous major film and television projects.

In January 2024, he joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC, receiving $30 million in stock and trademark rights to "The Rock" as part of a comprehensive deal. In January 2025 he acquired an additional 96,557 TKO shares worth $41 million, bringing his total ownership to nearly 290,000 shares.

Teremana and the Beverage Empire

The Rock's most significant investment thesis is beverages. He launched Teremana Tequila in March 2020 with a specific positioning: premium, sustainable, accessible. The brand produces tequila in Jalisco, Mexico using traditional methods and sustainable farming practices. By 2023 it was shipping over 1 million cases annually.

Industry analysts estimate Teremana at roughly $2 billion in brand value, with Johnson owning approximately 30 to 40%. George Clooney's Casamigos sold to Diageo for $1 billion in 2017. The comparison is obvious and the potential exit value is significant.

He also co-founded ZOA Energy in 2021 with a health-focused positioning, avoiding the aggressive stimulant profile of traditional energy drinks. It targets his core fitness audience. He partnered with Salt & Straw ice cream, releasing five flavors based on his notoriously elaborate cheat meals.

The Sports Ownership Portfolio

In 2020, Johnson and Garcia partnered with RedBird Capital Partners to acquire the XFL, the professional football league, from Vince McMahon. The league relaunched in 2023 before merging with the USFL into the United Football League. In March 2023, he purchased a minority stake in the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. In August 2023, he became a minority owner of Birmingham City FC in England, partnering with Knighthead Capital Management.

What His Approach Means for Angel Investors

Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund has noted that celebrities and athletes who invest in companies adjacent to their personal brand tend to outperform those who chase category trends. Johnson's record supports that observation. Teremana succeeded because Johnson actually believes in the product and has spent years building an audience that trusts his wellness and lifestyle judgments. ZOA succeeded for the same reason.

Angel Squad members bring analogous operator expertise to their investing. A former fitness founder who backs a wellness startup, or a fintech operator who invests in a payments company, is operating from the same kind of adjacent-domain advantage. The Angel Squad community of 2,500-plus investors across 50-plus countries is structured to help members identify and act on exactly those edges. Find out how at hustlefund.vc/squad.

The Broadcasting Deal

In 2022, Johnson signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports to become their lead NFL analyst, beginning in 2024. At $37.5 million per year, it is the most lucrative broadcasting contract in sports history. His Fox debut drew significant viewership and has added a new dimension to an already broad platform.

The Takeaway

Johnson's formula isn't complicated. He builds businesses around audiences that already trust him, in categories that align with what he actually practices, and he commits to them publicly at a scale that makes the marketing nearly automatic. That combination of authentic brand connection and massive distribution reach is difficult to replicate, but the underlying principle, invest in what you actually believe in and use, applies at every level of the market.

His net worth sits around $800 million as of 2025, with the Teremana brand value alone potentially pushing him past $1 billion if sold.