“We gonna win more. We gonna live more. We the best.” – DJ Khaled
I know what you’re thinking. How do you accidentally get wealthy on purpose. Well guess what? You’re about to find out.
This latest blogger interview comes from Dave of Accidental FIRE.
I reached out to him after seeing his name on like 20,000 blogs.
Here’s how it went down because as you know it goes down in the DM. ๐คฃ
I sent this tweet out after seeing a post Dave published. I thought it had an inspiring title. So I retweeted it.
To my surprise, Dave responded. ๐ฎ
So I responded to Dave. ๐
That’s when he told me to hit him up in the DM! ๐
So yes ladies and gents, this post happened from a tweet!
He seems as passionate about writing and blogging as I do!
I was born for this, born for this It’s who I am, how could I forget? – Macklemore
Let’s get right down to it! It goes down in the DM!!! It goes down. It goes down!!! ๐ Yo Gotti – Down In The DM
The blog and the interview was done by Miriam of Greenbacks Magnet, but those lyrics up top are by Yo Gotti.
INTRODUCING
Welcome aboard all! All are welcome!
Welcome to Greenbacks Magnet. Home of attracting Greenbacks like Magnets! ๐คฃCan I help you find financial freedom?
I want to thank you all for coming along this financial journey with me as I study the self-made and do blog interviews. You know, you are all my copilot’s on this magic carpet ride.
In the illustrious words of #Aladdin Genie, “You ain’t never ever had a friend like meeeee!!!”๐คฃ
Let’s Meet Dave!!!
I actually met Dave at FinCon. He was positive and had a great attitude. That was the thing I remember about him most. He may not have known it but I thought to myself now there’s someone I would not mind working with. ๐ค
And here we are today.
Another day, another breath (another breath) Been chasing dreams, but I never slept (I never slept) – Glorious Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey
I told Dave I thought he was one of the hardest working men in the blog business. I said that because I would go to read a post by a personal finance blogger and he would have already been there and posted the very first comment!
I couldn’t keep up with him! And I work HARD!!!
I remember seeing a comment on one blog post he did and he said, “Oh get out the popcorn. I see an interesting comments section coming on this post.”
Yep, that’s Dave.
What it felt like to meet Dave at FinCon.
He’s a genuine guy. ๐
Let’s talk about how Dave caught on financial FIRE!
DAVE STARTS A FINANCIAL FIRE BLOG
GBM: Hey Dave!! You should let me interview you for the blog! 5 questions tops! If it will get this ball rolling. I know you’re busy, but I promise to keep it short and snappy. Scouts honor. ๐
Dave: Hey Miriam, I will have to ponder these and will get back to you, interesting questions ๐
What is FIRE? It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.
There are tons of blogs out there on the topic.
I even wrote a post called How do you play with FIRE?
WHAT IS FIRE?
According to Camp Fire Finance, the elevator pitch for FIRE is this, โWhen your investments generate enough money to cover your annual expenses youโre financially independent (FI). At that point work is optional and you can retire early (RE) if you want to.โ
Basically, you have more than enough money coming in to stop working. Usually, this requires anywhere from $1 million to $5 million dollars depending on what you want or need to spend to maintain your lifestyle or that of the one you dream of having.
For example, if you decide you want to withdraw at least $80,000 a year, you would need to have a $2-million-dollar portfolio.
This is how I visualize myself on FIRE! ๐๐
Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games was serving them eye candy with that dress. It was literally ON FIRE!!!
To stay on theme, I will pick this image for Dave. ๐
Let’s get to the interview. ๐
Dave: Hey Miriam, here are my responses.
1. How did you come up with your blog name?
I named my blog Accidental FIRE because I reached FI accidentally – meaning I wasn’t intentionally trying to get to a point where I didn’t have to work anymore. I just wanted as much of a nest egg as I could get because I come from a background and family that has no money. So it was about building security in my life. But when I discovered the 4% etc it then accidentally became about working less too.
Good for you! ๐
It’s great to have goals. I call that a win!
GBM Miriam: Some people may think building a nest egg from the ground up is impossible. I say personal finance is not rocket science. It is about earning, saving, and consistency.
Thanks for keeping it ๐ฏand sharing that.
2. Any favorite finance books? What’s on your nightstand?
My favorite financial book is “The Simple Path To wealth” by JL Collins because it does the best job of boiling the basics down to make a FI path, well, simple. On my nightstand now are two books “War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars”, and “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure”. Also my eyeglasses and a candle.
Well ok โThat’s some good reading material right there. ๐
GBM Miriam: I am actually reading The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins right now! I guess great minds think alike! ๐
This was me in school. ๐
Even today, if I’m not reading, I like to exercise. ๐คฃ I like to keep busy. No idle hands.
I still read comic books too! My favorite is Red Sonja.
Fun Fact: The Marvel comic Red Sonja was turned into a film in 1985 starring one of my favorite self-made people to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger.
โDonโt focus on getting to $1 million; focus on getting to $2 million.โ โ Arnold Schwarzenegger
I heard that little gem when Mr. Schwarzenegger was doing a radio interview.
I’ve learned to make every dollar count. Focus on turning every $1 into $2. Instead of $1 million focus on $2 million. I learned that from @Schwarzenegger ๐
Just my 2 cents. Smooches ๐
Did this book inspire this post I wonder? ๐ค
3. What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume?
I’m a pretty good juggler.
Awesome! ๐That’s pretty cool.
4. What’s in your wallet? How did you start building wealth?
If you mean what kind of credit card I have a US Bank VISA that gives great reward points and that I use for everything. I started building wealth as soon as I started working when I was 16, I’ve always spent less than I made. But I started supercharging my wealth-building after reading a copy of Money magazine in 1995 and putting money in index funds.
Nice! ๐
GBM Miriam: I actually started after reading a Kiplinger magazine around 2007. I also put my money in index funds like the VFINX 500 index with Vanguard, which tracks an index like the S&P 500.
I try to save and invest over 40% of my income.
Although it is now closed to new investors you can put money into the VTSAX which is 80% comprised of the 500 largest companies in the United States.
Your story on how you grew up and got started building wealth reminds me of the song Glorious from Macklemore.
I feel glorious, glorious Got a chance to start again!
I loved it in the Crazy Rich Asians movie trailer.
5. What 80’s film best describes your relationship with money or the lifestyle you would like to have?
I guess I’d pick “Stand By Me” It doesn’t have much to do with money but I love the movie because it reminds me of my childhood – being in a small pack of super close friends and exploring and maybe sometimes getting into thins we shouldn’t have. And I’m still friends with all those guys today so it’s fun to reminisce about when we were younger and our knees didn’t hurt so much!
I hear you! ๐
Love that movie! It had some inspiring words. Love the 80’s. ๐
You know? Dialogue like this. ๐คฃ
GBM Miriam: Seriously, though that film makes me tear up at the end every time. A great coming of age story about friendship.
Why we blog about finances?
I’ll let Skylar Grey answer that:
We gon’ be alright, put that on my life When I open my eyes, hope I see you shine Now I feel glorious, glorious I feel glorious, glorious
Well, we have come to the end of this interview. Hope you had fun.
Here at Greenbacks Magnet we like to have fun. And I had a blast!!!
GBM Miriam: Thank you Dave for stopping by!! I sure hope we will see each other again at the next money meets media conference as FinCon19 is coming to DC! But if not, there is always Twitter and DM’s. ๐
I bid you all farewell. Until we meet or tweet again.
I will give you one of my farewell messages that I tweet as a show of my appreciate for you hanging out with me here at Greenbacks Magnet.
Hope you had fun with me today and my Lipstick confessions. I must bid you all a good night. And go back to my regular identity. May the 80s live on forever in our hearts. Smooches๐ Greenbacks Magnet
โSuccess isnโt always about โGreatnessโ, itโs about
consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.โ โ
Dwayne Johnson
Well unless you have been living under a Rock, then you have
heard of the name Dwayne โThe Rockโ Johnson.
One of the most successful wrestlers to come out of the WWE of all time.
The Rock is an inspiration to millions with his good
attitude, humility, and great sense of humor. One of the hardest working men in
show business today.
If there is a movies coming out, then The Rock either
auditioned for, saw the script, produced, or is starring in it. I mean the guy
has a movie coming out like every two weeks!
He recently made headlines in January 2019 for not getting
cast in Crazy Rich Asians?!!
As he worked with the filmโs director, Jon M. Chu, in the 2013 sci-fi action film โG.I. Joe: Retaliation,โ with Bruce Willis.
Regardless, The Rock isnโt low on cash by any means.
He has an estimated net worth of over $150 Million.
On my continued journey toward studying the self-made, the
man du jour is Dwayne Johnson.
Full Disclosure: I located numerous interviews, read magazine articles, and reporting on The Rock. One of the best came from Wonderwall.
So here we go.
Get your popcorn ready cause this is a long one.
Iโm about to open up The Rockโs wallet and give you a peek
inside.
Letโs smell what The Rock is cookinโ in his bank books shall we?
THE ROCK BEGINS: CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Dwayne Johnson, was born in California on May 2, 1972. Although he grew up poor in Hawaii, he is now one of the richest men in Hollywood, but the poverty he faced during his childhood is never far from his mind.
Case in point, On Thanksgiving 2017, The Rock revealed in a lengthy Instagram post that “there was a time back in ’87 when we couldn’t even afford Thanksgiving dinner and [were] praying someone would invite us over their house to eat.”
Due to his fatherโs work as a professional wrestler, the
family was constantly in flux and bouncing around from place to place.
Wrestling is in The Rockโs blood.
Wrestling is actually the Johnson family business — his
father Rocky Johnson was a star in the 1970s and ’80s, while his Samoan
grandfather Peter Maivia was famous in the 1960s.
As his mother was unable to keep a steady job because of this, they went through hard times.
HARD KNOCK LIFE
In another IG post, in May 2015, the wrestler-actor revealed on Instagram that “when I was 14yrs old we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ’cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent.”
In 2014, he told The Hollywood Reporter that a week before
they were evicted, he watched his mother’s car get repossessed. He reportedly
added to her troubles by joining a theft ring that targeted affluent stores in
Waikiki.
In addition, he stated in another interview that they were
so broke that his mother doesnโt remember walking out into incoming traffic
before he pushed her out of the way.
It was at that moment he decided to make changes in his life. He said to himself, โWhat can I do with these two hands?โ That is when he decided to start working out.
“The successful menย I knew wereย men who built their bodies.” – The Rock
He also stated while growing up people thought he was a girl and that they referred to him as one โall the time.โ
KICK ROCKS
โIโll never, ever be full. Iโll always be hungry. Obviously,
Iโm not talking about food.
Growing up, I had nothing for such a long time.โ โ The Rock
The Rock is now one the biggest movie stars in the world.
But before the A-list super-stardom and even before his WWE debut, Dwayne
Johnson was just a guy that was down on his luck.
He decided that he wanted to play football. He worked
tirelessly and gave everything he had to the sport. His hard work paid off.
Johnson was a promising football prospect and received
offers from many Division I collegiate programs. After finishing high school in
Pennsylvania, he went on to play college football. He decided on a full
scholarship from the University of Miami, playing defensive tackle. In 1991, he
was on the Miami Hurricanes’ national championship team.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Johnson started only once, appearing
in 39 games with a total of 77 tackles and 4.25 sacks. With muscles on top of
muscles, he was a sight to behold. He was a physical specimen from Day 1.
It was once quoted about The Rock, “He was a
jack-of-all-trades, but only a master at wrasslinโ.
Ed Orgeron, University of Miami defensive line coach
(1989-1992), once had this to say about The Rock.
“His uncle was Jimmy Snuka, he came from a wrestling
family. So we knew about that.
“I remember one-day walking off the field, he hadnโt
had a good day and I said something like, ‘You know, Dwayne, you should just
become a wrestler.'”
Warren Sapp, NFL pro football 2013 Hall of Famer, said this of
playing football with The Rock.
“So we used to joke with him by saying, ‘When you get
done with football, youโre going to go into wrestling, right?’
“And heโd say: ‘Damn right, bitch.’
Everyone always had the same thing to say about Johnson, he
was charismatic, humble, and down-to-earth.
The Rock would go on to complete a bachelor of general studies degree. But his football career was coming to an end around the same time his academic career did.
WRESTLING WITH $7 BUCKS
โ1995. $7 Bucks In My Pocket. I Knew Two Things: Iโm Broke
As Hell and One Day I Wonโt Beโ โ The Rock
In 1995, Dwayne Johnson signed with the Canadian Football
League’s Calgary Stampeders at a yearly salary of $35,000. According to The
Hollywood Reporter, after just two months, he got knocked down to the practice
team, which paid just $250 a week.
That had to hurt!
During that time, he reportedly shared a two-bedroom
apartment with three other players, “eating ramen noodles and spaghetti
and sleeping on a filthy mattress he had found ditched outside a
pay-by-the-hour sex motel,” wrote THR. When he was cut from the team not
long after that, he had just $7 to his name.
This is when he decided to become a wrestler. He begged his
father to show him the ropes. Get it ๐
Dwayne Johnson made his WWE debut in 1996, becoming the first third-generation wrestler in the league. (His father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, were both professional wrestlers.) He quickly became one of the sport’s biggest stars. According to Fortune, during his second year in the WWE, The Rock made enough money to accomplish a childhood dream: He bought his first Rolex. (He smashed the $35,000 timepiece in the ring just a week later.)
I mean, wow!
โWhen You Walk Up To Opportunityโs Door: Donโt Knock It.
Kick That Bitch In, Smile and Introduce Yourselfโ โ The Rock
Dwayne Johnson officially transitioned to Hollywood in 1999,
the year he played a version of his father, wrestler Rocky Johnson, on
“That ’70s Show,” where he got to act out with Topher Grace as Eric
Forman.
The following year, he channeled his wrestling alter ego
(complete with cocked eyebrow) to portray an alien gladiator on an episode of
“Star Trek: Voyager.” A month later, he hosted “Saturday Night
Live” for the first time. Each of these television appearances — as well
as a few others — helped him prove his acting chops and win fans outside of
the wrestling world.
The peopleโs champ was becoming the acting champ.
Things started really moving steadily from there for The
Rock.
In 2000, Dwayne Johnson released his memoir “The Rock Says…,” which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Keep in mind, Writing isn’t generally a high-paying
gigโunless you happen to be the top-selling author.
Fun Fact: While this gains the coveted “NYT BESTSELLER” status for the authors, it doesn’t net a lot of money. There are weeks in the year where you can make the NYT list with as few as a couple of thousand sales.
According to Career Trend, Given the royalties of a standard
contract, an author selling 20,000 books priced at $25 would earn $65,625 the
first week on the “New York Times” best-seller list. This is not
quite the millions superstar authors bank, but if the book continues to sell,
these earnings add up to an impressive income.
Then The Rock hit pay dirt. He booked a starring role in a major Hollywood film.
ย In 2001, Dwayne Johnson made his feature-film debut as The Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns.” He reportedly banked $500K for his brief appearance in the action-adventure sequel to 1999’s “The Mummy.” His work in the film was so popular, he scored his own spinoff.
THE BUSINESS OF BEING THE ROCK
The Road To Success and Greatness Is Always Paved With
Consistent Hard Work. Outwork Your Competitors, Be Authentic And Above All
Else. Chase Your Greatnessโ โ The Rock
Dwayne โThe Rockโ Johnson rose to fame thanks to his exploits in the pro wrestling ring and got his first big break in the movie business as the Scorpion King in 2001โs โThe Mummy Returns.โ
He holds the Guinness World Record for highest paid for a
movie debut, as he received a $5 million-dollar paycheck for his role.
In 2004, Dwayne Johnson left the WWE to focus on his Hollywood acting career. The following year, he earned raves for his performance as a gay cowboy bodyguard and aspiring actor in “Be Cool.” Further signaling his transition from professional wrestler to serious actor, he was credited as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson instead of just “The Rock” for his work in 2006’s “Gridiron Gang.” With 2008’s “Get Smart” — at the urging of his agents at CAA — he officially changed his stage name to Dwayne Johnson.
CAA, short for Creative Artists Agency, is also one of the
biggest entertainment agencies in the world.
GIVING BACK
โI Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me
Todayโ โ The Rock
In 2006, Dwayne Johnson and then-wife Dany Garcia, who fell
in love while they were students at the University of Miami, donated $2 million
to their alma mater to help fund a renovation to the school’s alumni center. In
2007, they donated $1 million to the college’s Football Facilities Renovation
Fund, which was reportedly the largest donation ever from a former student to
the university’s athletic department. The University of Miami renamed their
football locker room in his honor: It’s now the Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson Football Locker Room.
If that is not karma coming full circle, then I do not know what is! From getting cut from a football team to having a university athletic department named after you. Totally badass!!!
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
In 2008, Dwayne Johnson and college sweetheart Dany Garcia
divorced after 10 years of marriage and one daughter, Simone. The same year
they split romantically, Dany became her ex’s manager. “I was already
deeply involved with his agents, I was already commenting on scripts. It was a
very natural conversation, where he just said to me, ‘I would love for you to
do this full-time,'” she told Marie Claire in 2017.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES ASIDE, KEEP ON TRUCKINGโฆALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
In 2010, Dwyane Johnson portrayed star police officer Christopher Danson in “The Other Guys.” He reportedly earned $9 million for his role in the action-comedyโฆ. even though (spoiler alert!) his character gets killed off just 15 minutes into the movie.
Dwayne Johnson executive produced the 2010 documentary
“Racing Dreams.” The film, which centers around young drivers chasing
the kart racing championship title, marked The Rock’s debut as a producer.
I mean, does this guy ever stop working?!!! Now heโs a
producer.
In 2011, Dwayne Johnson parted ways with CAA, whose agents
had urged him to distance himself from the wrestling world. He signed with WME
and legendary agent Ari Emanuel (on whom Jeremy Piven’s “Entourage”
alter ego, Ari Gold, is based), and officially returned to the WWE that
February.
You see that. He trusted his instincts and listed to himself, not just the advice of his management team. Others may help you along your journey, but ultimately you make the final decision. ALWAYS!!!
He appeared in a number of big WWE events over the course of
the next few years and, according to some reports, banked $3.5 million per year
for his efforts. Apparently, he was worth every penny: “We set
pay-per-view buy-rate records and attendance records each time,” he gushed
to Fortune of his big return to the WWE. In April 2016, the league confirmed
that WrestleMania 32 set a new attendance record for the WWE with 101,763 fans
in the crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Would you look at that?
Setting records. Smacking down candy asses. Being eye candy.
Raising eyebrows and rising paychecks.
That is my description of The Rock!!
FAST AND FURIOUS MONEY
โLet Actions Do Your Talkin For You, (Unless Youโre Telling A Good Dirty Joke)โ
In an Essence magazine article, he was asked what he was wearing while talking over the phone. His answer: A thong. Backwards. ๐คฃYour boy has got jokes!!!
The Rock is now taking life a quarter mile at a time.
In April 2011, Dwayne Johnson made his film-franchise debut as Luke Hobbs in “Fast Five.” At the time, the fifth installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise had the top opening weekend of any film ever to open in the month of April, though that record has since been beat. He went on to appear in the next three films in the series and has become such a fan favorite that he and Jason Statham scored their very own spin-off movie, “Hobbs and Shaw,” which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2019.
SEVEN BUCKS PRODUCTIONS
In 2012, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia co-founded their own production company, Seven Bucks Productions — a nod to that time the wrestler-actor found himself with just $7 to his name after getting the boot from the Canadian Football League. The company has produced several of The Rock’s recent films including “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Baywatch,” “Rampage” and “Skyscraper” as well as the TV shows “Ballers,” “The Hero” and “Wake Up Call.”
One of my personal favorite television shows I have ever
seen The Rock do was the show โWake Up Call.โ
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: At 23, I Had Only $7 In My Pocket
โ Then I Turned My Life Around
According to Business Insider, โIn TNT’s new show “Wake Up Call,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lends a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges in their lives. From dysfunctional homes and dead-beat dads to sports teams that don’t gel and businesses struggling to survive.โ
MILK DOES A BODY GOOD
Dwayne Johnson starred in a commercial for the “Got Milk?” campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2013. He appeared in more advertisements for the campaign later that year.
He’s steady cashing them checks!!!๐ฐ Cha ching! ๐
Dwayne Johnson made his reality TV debut on the TNT
competition series “The Hero” in June 2013. He hosted all eight
episodes of the short-lived show. The following year, The Rock returned to the
network with the eight-episode series “Wake Up Call,” which tracked
his efforts to help average Americans transform their lives. His third stab at
reality TV, “The Titan Games,” is scheduled to debut on NBC in
January 2019. According to an official synopsis, the competition series (which
is in the vein of “American Gladiatiors”) is inspired by the
wrestler-actor’s “desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential
both mentally and physically.” Hopefully it fares better than its
predecessors!
You can say that again. Heโs been cancelled more times than checks!
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND RESPECT
โBlood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You
Earnโ โ The Rock
According to Fortune, movies in which Dwayne Johnson appeared made $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office in 2013 — more than any other actor that year. To be fair, he starred in four movies that debuted in 2013: “Snitch,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Pain & Gain” and “Fast & Furious 6” (pictured).
My absolute favorite film in The Fast and The Furious franchise is Fast Five. It earned over $500 million in box office receipts. It set the stage for the billion-dollar franchise. This was a huge record at the time in 2011 for the film and The Rock most certainly helped put butts in those theater seats!
In 2014, The Rock starred in Hercules. It was a big budget film that cost $100 million USD to make. It grossed over $244 million at the box office, but was not the money maker studios would have liked.
To be fair, I saw the film. I thought it was excellent.
Solid performances by The Rock and the whole cast. My absolute favorite was Ingrid
Bolsรธ Berdal. She was outstanding in the film. She was the Legolas of the film.
You know the role that made Orlando Bloom famous in The Lord of the Rings
franchise.
You know how it goes: “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.”
Or DC Comic Universeโs The Arrow.
Like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, she too uses a bow and arrow. You know it is always the coolest party people that use the infamous bow and arrow and that is because it takes REAL skill.
โWith Drive And A Bit Of Talent, You Can Move Mountainsโ โ
The Rock
In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson starred as a rescue helicopter pilot in “San Andreas.” He reportedly banked $25 million — the biggest paycheck of his career so far — for his role in the disaster flick. There are reports that the box office hit will get a sequel, though no moves have been made yet on the project.
Alas, as of this writing, it doesnโt look like the movie
pulled in enough dough to make that happen.
“Ballers” debuted on HBO in June 2015. According
to Variety, Dwayne Johnson makes $650K per episode of the series — more than
any other actor makes on TV aside from the five main stars of “The Big
Bang Theory,” who each bank $900K per episode of the CBS sitcom.
As of this writing, The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), will be
ending and going off the air in Spring 2019. This stems from Jim Parsons’
decision to leave the series at the end of the season if the show were to be
renewed for a thirteenth season. The series will conclude with an hour long
finale consisting of two back-to-back episodes on May 16, 2019.
In October 2015, Dwayne Johnson announced that he’d signed on to promote Ford’s service departments. Since then, he’s appeared in several ad campaigns for the motor company.
In November 2015, Dwayne Johnson reportedly donated $1,500 to a shelter puppy who’d been named after him. The 4-month-old pooch required expensive medical treatment for a heart murmur.
THE BRAHMA BULL GETS INK AND INKS A DEAL WITH UNDER ARMOUR
โSuccess at anything will always come down to this: Focus &
Effort, and we control both.โ โ The Rock
The tattoos are beliefs of his ancestors from his fatherโs side and mothers sides. His black culture, his Samoan culture, all cumulates in a belief that the spirit of his ancestors is protecting his family. These tattoos represent great struggle and about overcoming them.
The tattoo on his body comes down to 3 things; his family, protection of his family, and about having a true warrior spirit forever.
Dwayne Johnson launched his partnership with Under Armour in January 2016. The first item from his collaboration with the athletic brand, a duffle bag, sold out within 24 hours. Since then, he’s released everything from clothes and wireless headphones to sneakers through his Project Rock collection for Under Armour. On May 28, 2018, The Rock’s Project Rock 1 shoes for Under Armour sold out in 30 minutes.
NO FREE APPLE iPHONES OR APPS
Remember in my last post, when I talked about Taylor Swift putting Apple iTunes on blast about free music? No? Thatโs ok. Hereโs the link ๐
Well, now The Rock is working with Apple.
In May 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched an iPhone app, The Rock Clock, that’s essentially an alarm clock that wakes up users with exclusive inspirational video messages from the actor-wrestler. Users can also sync their alarms with The Rock’s so that they too can rise and shine at 4 a.m. every day to start their daily fitness routines. “Our goal was create a free, direct, uncomplicated, cool, motivating app to help us all get after our goals every morning,” the superstar explained on Instagram.
And remember this? iPhone 7 | The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day | Apple. If you look closely, you will see that fannie pack pic of him while he ‘s driving the Lyft car!!! ๐And in the video his manager calls him DJ. I would love an uncle DJ that can treat me to an ice cream anytime!
AND YOUTUBE
In July 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched his own YouTube
channel. Original series on the channel include the cooking show “What The
Rock Is Cooking” and “Millennials: The Musical,” a collaboration
with “Moana” co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In January 2017, Dwayne Johnson launched Seven Bucks Digital
Studios, a branch of his Seven Bucks Productions focusing on developing new
original online content.
In April 2017, Dwayne Johnson returned to the role of Luke Hobbs in “The Fate of the Furious.” The eighth installment in the beloved “Fast & Furious” franchise opened worldwide to more than $541 million. At the time, it was the largest global opening of any film ever. (“Avengers: Infinity War” broke the record the following year.)
In July 2017, Dwayne Johnson starred in an ad campaign for
Apple’s iPhone 7 and Siri titled “The Rock x Siri Dominate The Day.”
In September 2017, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia
launched Seven Bucks Creative, a creative ad agency within their production
company, Seven Bucks Productions. In March 2018, the company released its first
campaign: two videos promoting The Rock’s Project Rock collection for Under
Armour, naturally!
In December 2017, Dwayne Johnson headlined “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The reboot of the original 1995 family action flick “Jumanji” was a surprise sleeper hit, becoming Sony’s highest grossing film of all time domestically. It trucked along at the box office for months, becoming the first movie since 1998’s “Titanic” to open in December and top the box office in February. All in all, the film was so successful, Sony ordered another installment in the series for late 2019.
RAKING IN THE DOUGH BY THE TRUCKLOADS
In February 2018, before writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber had even penned a script, Universal and Legendary teamed up to win a bidding war for “Red Notice,” which Rawson describes as “a big international heist picture, that is tonally in the vein of ‘Ocean’s 11’ meets ‘True Lies’ by the way of ‘Thomas Crown Affair.'” The two studios agreed to finance the film at $160 million based on a pitch meeting and the fact that Dwayne Johnson is attached to star. (According to Deadline, the deal is the largest for a studio movie in Hollywood so far this year.) The Rock will reportedly bank $22 million plus backend to play “an Interpol agent who is tasked with catching the most wanted art thief in the world.”
In mid-July 2018, Forbes released its list of the world’s 100 highest paid entertainers. Dwayne Johnson came in at No. 5 behind Floyd Mayweather, George Clooney, Kylie Jenner and Judge Judy. “The former wrestler tallied the highest ever acting take-home in Celebrity 100 history, thanks to giant upfront paychecks and a cut of profits on blockbusters including ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.’ A huge social following allows him to negotiate an extra seven figures atop his standard contract for promotion, helping nearly double his 2017 earnings,” wrote Forbes. So how much exactly he is taking home in 2018? A whopping $124 million.
At this point, he is making money hand over fist. Just genius right there with his negotiations. I have no words.
Dwayne Johnson’s generosity is practically legendary. In
late July 2018, he took to Instagram to share a video of himself surprising his
longtime stunt double (and cousin) Tanoai Reed with a new truck. “Not only
does Tanoai represent our family and my career with relentless commitment and passion.
He also represents an entire Hollywood stunt community that is truly the
backbone of our business,” The Rock wrote in the caption. Giving thanks
where it’s due? That’s good business! Over the years, the wrestler-actor also
bought a Lamborghini Gallardo for one of his cousins, a Cadillac Escalade for
his dad, a Cadillac truck for his mom, a Honda Civic for another cousin, a
Lexus SUV for yet another cousin, a Ford F-150 for an uncle and another Ford
pickup truck for his longtime housekeeper.
As of August 2018, Dwayne Johnson is the most followed male
entertainer on Instagram with 112 million followers.
As of this writing, he now has over 136 million followers on
Instagram. He is the king of Insta!!!! He is the undisputed, follower for
follower, heavyweight champ of IG!
Two snaps for you Dwayne!!! You Rock!!
He’s the seventh-most
followed celebrity behind Selena Gomez, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana
Grande, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner. According to Forbes, The
Rock “insists on a separate seven-figure social media fee” for every
movie in which he appears.” Basically, his social media accounts are worth
millions in marketing and advertising dollars.
And that ladies and gentleman is how The Rock built his empire.
Here is his formula: Blood, Sweat, and Respect + Hard work and Consistency = Success. ย ย