MUMBAI: The film industry is full of stories of talented people who rose from poverty to greatness via a mix of skill, determination, hard work, and good fortune. A selected few survive and achieve that unreal success where many fail. The present superstar, a near-billionaire, is one such success story. He was previously a petty criminal who was kicked out by his own family.

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Dwayne Johnson was a football player, wrestler Rocky Johnson's son, and a without a cause rebel before he became known as The Rock. Dwayne was raised in Hawaii and, at the age of 14, was kicked out of his home. As a result, he turned to crime as a means of support.

The actor claimed in an earlier interview with the popular news portal that he had been detained "eight or nine times" by the time he was 17 due to his involvement in a local theft ring in his hometown. He would rob travelers of expensive jewelry and technology with the help of his friends.

But despite his ‘criminal’ ways, Johnson wanted to get out of that life. He worked on his body and that helped him get a scholarship to the University of Miami to play football. From there, he was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. However, the success was short-lived. In his first season itself, Johnson was sacked from the team. In a Facebook post years ago, the actor revealed, “I was cut from the team, told I wasn't good enough — and sent home with $7 (Rs 250 in those days) to my name.”

Professional wrestling came as a saviour for Johnson. In 1996, he signed with World Wrestling Federation (now Entertainment), the top wrestling promotion in the world. In 1997, he adopted his now-iconic persona of The Rock and soon became one of the company’s biggest names, winning several world championships till his first retirement in 2004.

After making a brief cameo in The Mummy Returns in 2001, he went on to play major parts in Walking Tall and The Scorpion King. However, he didn't have commercial success until he made an appearance in the Fast and Furious film in 2011. He contributed hits to the following years, including Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, San Andreas, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Baywatch, and additional Fast franchise appearances.

After earning $89.4 million in 2018 alone, Forbes crowned him the highest-paid actor of all time in 2019. He broke his own record in 2023 when he raised his earnings to $123 million. According to Forbes, he has amassed an enormous fortune of $800 million (about Rs. 6600 crores) via his wrestler performances, movies, and businesses.

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Credit- DNA