Let’s talk about George “The Animal” Steele. You know, the guy with the giant chest, the hairy back, and the green tongue. The guy who literally bit turnbuckles. We’re talking about his net worth, baby.
Why does his bank account even matter? Because it’s a story about weirdness paying off. A story about a quiet teacher who became a chewing, grunting, green-tongued legend.
The Man Behind the Monster
His real name was William James Myers. A high school biology teacher. Yes, a biology teacher. He taught kids about frogs and dissections. Then he’d drive to the wrestling ring and rip stuffing out of turnbuckles.
Must Read
Imagine the parent-teacher conferences. “Mr. Myers, my son says you ate a turnbuckle.” He probably just shrugged and graded papers.
He made his wrestling debut in 1967. He was already 30 years old. Most wrestlers peak in their twenties. George was just getting warmed up.
How Did The Animal Make His Money?
He didn’t sell stocks. He sold chaos. For decades, he was a staple in the WWF (now WWE). He fought Hulk Hogan. He fought Randy Savage. He even had a weird, touching romance with Miss Elizabeth.
His paydays were solid. In the 1980s, top wrestlers made around $500,000 a year. Was George “top”? No. But he was irreplaceable. Nobody else had the tongue. Nobody else made the “guh-guh-guh” noise. That niche paid the bills.
George 'The Animal' Steele, WWE Hall of Famer and 'Ed Wood' Star, Dies
He didn’t have a million-dollar gimmick like The Rock. He had a cult classic gimmick. And cult classics earn a nice, steady paycheck. Plus, he got royalties from action figures and video games.
The Big, Hairy Number
So, what was George The Animal Steele’s net worth at his peak? Estimates place it around $1.5 million. That’s not “diamond-encrusted mansion” money. That’s “comfortable Ohio farm with a barn and a dog” money.
Smart guy. He didn’t blow it all on cars. He invested in real estate. He bought properties in Michigan and Ohio. The Animal was a landlord. Think about that. He’d grunt at tenants who were late on rent.
When he passed away in 2017, his estate was worth around $1 million. He left it to his wife, Patricia. A quiet, dignified exit for a very loud, very weird man.
WWE legend George ‘The Animal’ Steele dead at 79
The Quirkiest Facts About His Fortune
He never took his shirt off in public. Ever. Even at the bank. He was embarrassed by his body hair. The guy who was famous for looking like a gorilla was shy about it.
He drove a beat-up pickup truck. Not a fancy sports car. Just a dusty truck with hay in the back. He was a farmer at heart.
His biggest expense? Dental work. All that turnbuckle biting? It ground down his teeth. He needed dentures later in life. His dentist probably had a framed photo of him in the office.
The Movie That Paid Him Twice
In 1989, he appeared in the movie No Holds Barred with Hulk Hogan. He played a biker named “Ripper.” The script had him saying one word: “Yeah.”
He got paid a flat fee. But later, the movie got a cult following on VHS. Every rental? A tiny residual check. The Animal got paid for saying one word for the next twenty years. That’s a power move.
O Animal Wwe
Why We Even Care About His Net Worth
We’re not looking at his bank account because we want to invest like him. We’re looking because it’s fun. It humanizes the monster.
When you see a green-tongued man eating a turnbuckle on TV, you don’t think: “I wonder how his 401(k) is doing.” But now you know. He was a smart, boring, Ohio guy with excellent real estate sense.
He was proof that you can be a complete weirdo and still make a million dollars. You just have to own it. Own the tongue. Own the hair. Own the growl.
George Steele didn’t try to be cool. He tried to be scary and funny. And that combo made him a million bucks.
WWE, MHSAA great George (the Animal) Steele dies
The Lesson for All of Us
Stop trying to be normal. Normal doesn’t buy you a farm in Ohio. You know what does? Being a green-tongued biology teacher who bites furniture.
Find your weird. Polish it. Maybe don’t eat canvas, but find something. Make it your brand. George made his brand “off-putting”, and it worked.
His net worth wasn’t just money. It was a scorecard. It showed that being the most memorable person in the room pays better than being the most polished person.
So next time you see a photo of George The Animal Steele, don’t just laugh at the hair. Winkingly nod at his financial planning. The man had stocks, bonds, and a green tongue. That’s a legacy.
And to wrap it up? His net worth is a happy, hairy reminder. You don’t need to be a billionaire. You just need to be you, fully embraced, with a side of turnbuckle. That pays off.