Vince McMahon and The Rock have been included on the updated Variety500 list, which is online at this link. The Rock’s business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia is also included on the list.
The Variety500, which was updated today for 2018, is an index of the 500 most influential business leaders that shape the global $2 trillion entertainment industry. The update revealed today reflects the accomplishments of its members over the past 12 months. The members were selected by the Variety editorial board.
Below are the Variety500 blurbs on Vince, Rock and Garcia:
The Rock: “The former wrestler who started out with $7 to his name (hence Seven Bucks Productions, which he co-heads with his ex and longtime manager Dany Garcia) has worked tirelessly to become a multi-platform powerhouse. In 2018, Johnson juggled his HBO series “Ballers” and films including the remake of “Jumanji,” which reeled in nearly a billion dollars, plus “Rampage” and “Skyscraper,” both overseas smashes that cemented his global appeal. On deck for 2019 is Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” his own “Fast & Furious” spinoff and the “Jumanji” sequel, while 2020 will bring his superhero flick “Black Adam.” Offscreen, Johnson opened his own advertising agency this year, Seven Bucks Creative. And of course, he told Variety he would “100 percent consider” running for president.”
Dany Garcia: “Garcia left finance only a decade ago, after working at Merrill Lynch and on her own, but her Hollywood star is soaring: She’s founder and CEO of a high-profile media management firm — representing the likes of ex-husband Dwayne Johnson and Henry Cavill — and chief of a production company. Her more than 50 projects in development run the gamut from Johnson’s “Fast and Furious” spinoff “Hobbs and Shaw” to “Big Trouble in Little China,” a continuation, not a remake, of the original Johnson actioner. “Jungle Cruise,” based on the Disneyland ride and also starring Johnson, bows next year. Though long split from the Rock, she capitalized on her business acumen by helping him transition from wrestler to A-lister. And through it all, she still bodybuilds.”
Vince McMahon: “A lifetime devotee of the sport, McMahon led the venerable wrestling organization to record revenues this year ($281.6 million in Q2 alone, up 31 percent year over year) thanks largely to increases in subscriber growth for its streaming outlet WWE Network and licensing fees for content and merchandise. The spoils stay largely in the McMahon family, which owns approximately 70 percent of WWE and holds 96 percent of the voting power. In June, the 73-year-old third-generation promoter positioned the WWE for future success when he closed new multi-year media-right deals with USA Network and Fox Sports. Effective October 2019, those have 3.6 times the annual average value of its current U.S. distribution deal with NBCU.”
