Ric Flair Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Ric Flair’s Net Worth?

Ric Flair, a retired American professional wrestler and wrestling manager, boasts a net worth of $500 thousand. Since his debut as a professional wrestler in 1972, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, professional wrestlers of all time. His illustrious career spans four decades, culminating in his induction into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008, with his current involvement in the WWE Legends league.

Often referred to as the “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair remains one of the most prominent and magnetic figures in professional wrestling history. His career, extending over 40 years, has cemented his status as a foundational figure in the sport, characterized by a legacy that is both extravagant and unmatched in its successes.

Flair’s journey began in the 1970s, where he swiftly ascended to fame due to his distinctive blend of athleticism, showmanship, and compelling microphone skills. The combination of his bleached blonde hair, lavish robes, and a larger-than-life persona ensured he was always in the spotlight. However, it was his technical skills, in-ring ability, and knack for storytelling that garnered him tremendous respect from fans and peers alike.

Throughout his illustrious career, Flair competed in various organizations, notably the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE). Each organization bore witness to the lasting impact he made. He is celebrated for achieving a record-setting 16 world championship reigns, highlighting both his dominance and the longevity of his career.

Flair’s career is incomplete without mentioning the Four Horsemen, an iconic wrestling faction he spearheaded during the 1980s. This group, characterized by its blend of skill and villainy, became emblematic of that era. His legendary rivalries with wrestling icons such as Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, and Hulk Hogan are revered as classics, showcasing his adaptability as a performer.

Beyond the ring, Flair’s impact continued to resonate. His signature catchphrases, especially “Wooo!”, have permeated popular culture, while his flamboyant style has inspired a multitude of entertainers, particularly in music.

Early Life

Ric was born Richard Morgan Fliehr on February 25, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was adopted, with many believing his birth name to be Fred Phillips; some documents also reference him as Fred Demaree or Fred Stewart. After his adoption, his father was finalizing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Detroit, Michigan, while his adoptive mother, Kathleen, worked for the Star Tribune newspaper. Soon after, Flair and his adoptive family established their home in Edina, Minnesota. For high school, he attended Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where he was active in wrestling, football, and track. Though he briefly enrolled at the University of Minnesota intending to pursue a medical career like his adoptive father, he ultimately dropped out to pursue professional wrestling.

Career

Known as “The Nature Boy,” Flair’s introduction to the wrestling world came through meeting the iconic Vachon brothers. He made his professional wrestling debut on December 10, 1972, against “Scrap Iron” George Gadaski. The initial months of his career were spent at Gagne’s Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club before relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he became a key performer for Jim Crockett Promotions. In 1981, Ric Flair clinched his first NWA World title, marking the start of an incredibly prolific career in wrestling. Later on, he also spent time with World Championship Wrestling,

TNA Wrestling and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), run by Vince McMahon, are prominent in the wrestling industry.

Throughout his career, Flair was a major draw for pay-per-view events, having headlined 10 editions of Starrcade. He also took center stage at WrestleMania, the WWF’s flagship event, in 1992, and that same year triumphed in the Royal Rumble. Named PWI Wrestler of the Year on eight occasions, Flair became the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame to be honored twice — first in 2008 for his solo achievements and again in 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen. Moreover, he has been inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Flair is recognized as a 16-time world champion, holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship eight times, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, and the WWF Championship twice. He became the pioneer holder of both the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship, and he made history as the first to earn the WCW Triple Crown as the inaugural WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Following that, he captured the Intercontinental Championship while previously holding the WWF Championship and the World Tag Team Championship. Flair remains the only wrestler in history to have held all four variations of the title.

Personal Life

Ric Flair’s first marriage was to Leslie Goodman on August 28, 1971, with whom he had a son, David, and a daughter, Megan; they divorced in 1983.

On August 27, 1983, he wed Elizabeth Harrell, fathering two more children: a daughter named Ashley and a son named Reid. This marriage ended in 2006.

Flair’s third marriage to Tiffany VanDemark, a fitness competitor, occurred on May 27, 2006. However, she filed for divorce in 2008, and the divorce was finalized in 2009.

Showing enthusiasm for matrimony, Flair tied the knot for the fourth time with Jackie Beems on November 11, 2009, in North Carolina. They divorced in 2014 after Flair filed for separation in 2012.

His fifth marriage was to Wendy Barlow, known as Fifi the Maid from WCW, on September 12, 2018, in Florida. They initially separated in January 2022 but reconciled in May of the same year.

David, Flair’s son, followed in his father’s footsteps as a professional wrestler, working with WCW from 1999 to 2001. Reid, Flair’s other son, excelled as a high school wrestler and signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2007.

In 2004, Ric Flair became a grandfather when his daughter Megan welcomed her first child, Morgan Lee Ketzner.

Ashley, Flair’s daughter, made her mark in the wrestling world by signing with WWE under the ring name Charlotte Flair in 2012.

Tragically, Reid passed away from a drug overdose caused by heroin, Xanax, and a muscle relaxer in March 2013.

Throughout the years, Flair has made several outrageous claims, including asserting he slept with 15,000 women and consumed 15 alcoholic drinks daily.

In June 2020, Flair defended his daughter Charlotte against fans expressing fatigue over her frequent television presence, stating:

“I’m so mad about that — one mark after another, ‘We’re tired of seeing her.’ Good, watch her on TV at another event. She’s a millionaire — she can do what she wants to do. And she’s a millionaire because of the company; there you go.”

In July,

In 2022, Flair introduced the virtual restaurant chain “Wooooo! Wings” in Nashville, Tennessee. By August 2022, the chain had expanded to six cities across the United States. Additionally, he collaborated with Mike Tyson to launch his cannabis brand “Ric Flair Drip” under “Tyson 2.0,” which made its debut in October 2022.

Financial Problems

Since the early 1990s, Ric Flair has faced several confrontations with the IRS. In the year 2000, he was issued a lien for unpaid taxes amounting to over $870,000. The IRS began garnishing Flair’s earnings from WWE in 2005, which he attributed to the extravagant spending of his second wife, Elizabeth.

Legal documents released in 2019 indicated that Ric reportedly did not pay the full amount of taxes owed on his earnings from 2016 to 2018. These filings revealed a debt of $240,000 to the Federal government and an additional $40,000 to the state of Georgia. Furthermore, in 2019, Ric faced a medical crisis that required heart surgery, resulting in a staggering medical bill of $1.8 million that was not covered by insurance.

During an appearance on The Steve Austin Show in 2019, Flair shared how he ended up $500,000 in debt owing to his son’s rehabilitation expenses; however, Hulk Hogan came to his aid, and they developed a strong friendship as a result.