Andre the Giant.
Just the name alone is enough to conjure images out of legend.
Born Andre Roussimoff, Andre the Giant was over six foot three inches tall by the time
he was 12.
Just how big he eventually grew is a matter of debate, most agree he stood around seven
feet tall and weighed in at over 500 pounds at his biggest, but he was officially billed
at seven foot four.
No matter how large he was in reality, he loomed even larger in the public consciousness,
becoming quite literally the biggest wrestling star of his, or any other, era.
How big?
Well, his Wrestlemania III match against Hulk Hogan in 1987 is still considered by wrestling
fans to be the biggest event in wrestling history.
The hype in the build-up before the event "transcended" pro wrestling, as everyone wanted
to see what would happen.
It was a perfect case of immovable force vs. unstoppable object: Andre walked in the ring
with a 15-year unbeatable WWE streak, but Hogan had held the championship belt for three
years and his Hulkamania was running wilder than ever.
Hogan ended up "winning" the carefully scripted encounter, but the match and the "slam heard
around the world" finish cemented both men as pop culture icons.
Not that Andre necessarily needed extra attention.
Between his wrestling career and his side gigs as an actor, Andre was a household name
worldwide, beloved by millions when he tragically passed away at just 46 years old in 1993.
And all that fame and adulation translated directly to his wallet, as Celebrity Net Worth
estimates that when you adjust for inflation, his net worth was around $10 million when
he died.
That's a pretty hefty sum, but it's hard not to think he would have made far more money
if he were performing now.
After all, a decent portion of his income came from his acting career, most notably
as the gentle giant Fezzik in the beloved 1987 classic The Princess Bride.
That film and its enduring popularity helped pave the way for numerous wrestlers to become
Hollywood icons, most notably John Cena, Dave Bautista, and, of course, Dwayne "The Rock"
Johnson.
Unfortunately, though, Andre wasn't able to fully cash in on the success of The Princess
Bride himself, as he was already in such rough shape during filming that he had difficulty
performing the physical feats required.
Just imagine, though, how much money a healthy Andre the Giant might command in Hollywood
today in the era of the superhero film.
The mind boggles!
"It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest.
I don't even exercise!"
And then there's the fact that his massive popularity helped wrestling become a national
obsession, allowing the wrestlers who immediately followed to become far wealthier than Andre
himself.
Perhaps Andre's Wrestlemania III dancing partner would be a fair comparison.
Celebrity Net Worth tells us that Hulk Hogan currently has an estimated net worth of $25
million, but that amount has been as high as $30 to $40 million in the past.
Since Hogan was born seven years later than Andre, it's very possible Andre could have
amassed similar fortunes had his career happened just a few years later than it did.
Or just take a look at another oversized professional wrestler, Big Show.
Though he's not nearly as big a pop culture star as Andre was, Big Show's estimated net
worth still tops $20 million, hinting at the massive fortune Andre might have amassed if
he had lived just a little later, or a little longer.
Then again, an outsized personality and outsized body like Andre possessed also comes with
outsized appetites.
Some think Andre may have made much more money during his career and simply spent it all
satiating his needs.
For instance, he was notoriously fond of alcohol: according to friends, he consumed an average
of 7,000 calories per day just from booze alone!
If that sounds crazy, just take if from Hulk Hogan himself, who says that he once saw Andre
the Giant drink an incredible 108 12-ounce cans of beer during a one hour layover at
an airport.
Now that's the kind of bar tab that could wipe out anyone's fortune!
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Grunge videos about your favorite stars are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.