How Vince McMahon Saved Ric Flair From Being Financially Broke
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When one thinks of wrestling, one of the first names that come to mind is that of "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. He is regarded by many as the greatest of all time. The Nature Boy has styled and profiled his way to the top of the industry. However, his rise to the top and his journey throughout has been quite rocky.
Ric Flair's on-screen character was that of a highly rich and successful superstar. The Nature Boy's life actually imitated his character on TV. He has been living large for most of his life, but it all came at a cost. Ric Flair has faced financial woes quite a few times throughout his journey. From personal relationships falling out to expensive lawsuits and even a failed business venture, they all contributed to Ric Flair being almost broke once upon a time in his life.
Bad Decisions Cost Ric Flair A Lot Of His Money
The Nature Boy got caught up in financial problems while trying to maintain his high-profile lifestyle, and his personal circumstances added to the problem. In his book, Second Nature: The Legacy of Ric Flair and the Rise of Charlotte, Flair revealed, "I got into financial trouble as a result of my costly divorce (from Beth), paying around $20,000 per month in alimony, investment opportunities not panning out, and maintaining a high-profile lifestyle,"
As of today, Ric Flair has divorced four women. However, in addition to his alimony payments, another big investment of his did not do well.
Flair teamed up with his business partner Chris Porter hoping to create a mortgage-based online financial company called "Ric Flair Finance" in 2007. They even advertised it on WWE TV. However, the documentation required for the company was not legal, asFlair did not even possess a broker's license. Hence, The State of North Carolina shut it down, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 2008. It was reported that Porter even sued Flair for $115,000 over a $140,000 loan.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Ric Flair's Life Outside Wrestling
Vince McMahon Helped Ric Flair Financially
Vince McMahon might be the biggest heel WWE TV has ever seen, but he showed his soft side in real life when he decided to help out The Nature Boy during a tough time. In an interview with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on his podcast in 2016, Flair disclosed, "When I've had financial woes, through my divorces, he's lent me money. But I've paid him back. One time, I was into him for $800,000. Eight hundred grand. He (Vince) said, 'I wouldn't lend my kid this kind of money.' "
Not only did Vince loan Ric the money, but he also advised him to declare bankruptcy, but Flair just could not do that. Flair also revealed that he paid back Vince by giving him back the big WrestleMania 24 check that he received from Vince.
RELATED: Ric Flair & Vince McMahon's Forgotten Street Fight At The Royal Rumble, Explained
Ric Flair Says His Current Financial Status Is Better
Flair seems to be doing well for himself now as he revealed in The Broken Skull Sessions with Steve Austin in 2020, "I've been rich, I've been poor, I've owed the IRS $1 million once, $2 million once. I'm even, no bankruptcy, and I can probably count a million dollars that I've got right now. And everything is paid for."
Ric has recently launched several ventures including his own virtual restaurant called "Woooo! Wings" in Nashville, Tennessee, and his own brand of cannabis alongside Mike Tyson known as "Ric Flair Drip". It looks like Flair landed on his feet after a tough road.
