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How F9’s John Cena made his US$60 million net worth – and how the WWE superstar spends it (hint: on flashy cars)

Bet you’d never guess that F9 star John Cena is a fan of luxury cars. Photo: @MdAkash21699871/Twitter
Bet you’d never guess that F9 star John Cena is a fan of luxury cars. Photo: @MdAkash21699871/Twitter

  • Joining Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson in the latest Fast and Furious film, the former WWE star is set to rake in even more dough soon
  • But he’s been no slouch so far, earning big bucks from starring alongside Amy Schumer in Trainwreck and striking deals with Honda, Subway and Gillette

John Cena is worth an estimated US$60 million, taking him a long way from his days of having to compete in eating contests to get a free meal.

But the WWE star hasn’t just relied on wrestling to earn his fortune. Here’s how the 44-year-old American entertainer built his wealth.

His wrestling roots

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John Cena was the highest-paid WWE superstar in 2016. Photo: @johncena/Facebook
John Cena was the highest-paid WWE superstar in 2016. Photo: @johncena/Facebook
Cena was the highest-paid WWE superstar in 2016, according to Forbes, but it wasn’t just his televised TV matches that saw him rake in US$9.5million that year. Not bad, by the way, for a guy who just 15 years earlier was working as a limousine driver to pay bills – that is, before he landed a spot in the stepping stone Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2001.
John Cena at Barnes & Noble. Photo: @johncena/Facebook
John Cena at Barnes & Noble. Photo: @johncena/Facebook

Like other big names working for WWE, Cena takes home extra cash via merchandise sales, and has released shirts and a number of neck chains and medallions. Massachusetts-born Cena is now even a bestselling author after releasing a series of children’s books.

His film career

John Cena in Wipeout. Photo: @johncena/Facebook
John Cena in Wipeout. Photo: @johncena/Facebook

Wrestling inevitably helped Cena get his start on the big screen – WWE Studios was even behind his movie debut in 2006’s The Marine, which earned him a handsome US$280,000 for the lead role.

However he enjoyed a notably slimmer pay packet for Nickelodeon’s Fred franchise – earning just US$25,000 for playing the lead character’s dad in Fred: The Movie and its sequel, and US$30,000 for Fred 3, according to Money Nation.