Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson secures ownership of his famous nickname in WWE deal

Despite going by “The Rock” for years, wrestling and movie star Dwayne Johnson never actually owned the rights to his famous nickname — until today. 

The full ownership of his stage name came from a services and merchandising agreement that also appointed Johnson to the board of directors at the TKO Group, a professional wrestling entertainment company that owns WWE and UFC. The company will pay The Rock $30 million in stock awards to boost its brand throughout 2024 and 2025, according to an FEC filing on Tuesday.  

 In an interview on CNBC, Johnson said, “My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come.”

The nickname was inspired by his father, Rocky, the first black champion in WWE history

Johnson said taking ownership of the name “is not only unprecedented but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle.” He added that TKO “is building something truly game-changing.”

Outside of his movie career, Johnson owns companies such as Teremana Tequila and marketing company Seven Bucks Productions, among many others.

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TKO announced that Johnson will be joined by fellow entrepreneur Brad Keywell, co-founder of Groupon and chairman of AI software provider Uptake Technologies. The two additions bring the board to 13 members in total. 

Johnson recently appeared on WWE’s TV shows Smackdown and Raw. There is talk among fans that he might participate in WrestleMania next year.