Christopher Michael Benoit was born on 21 May 1967, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Margaret and Michael Benoit. He was a professional wrestler, best known from holding multiple titles through his career, but also notorious for killing his wife and son, then committing suicide in 2007.
A noted wrestler, how rich was Chris Benoit? Sources state that Benoit had earned wealth of over $500,000, his net worth accumulated during his wrestling career which began in 1985.
Chris Benoit Net Worth $500,000
Benoit’s family moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada during his teenage years. He began his career as an amateur wrestler and bodybuilder, and eventually started to train with Stu Hart, enrolling in the acclaimed training facility of the Hart family, “Dungeon”, in 1985. Later that year he turned pro, joining Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion.
The following year Chris won his first title, the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship, and went on to win four International Tag Team and three more British Commonwealth titles during his time with Stampede. His net worth started to rise.
In 1989, he joined New Japan Pro Wrestling, wearing a mask and using the names Wild Pegasus and Pegasus Kid. The following year he won his first major championship, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and went on to win the Best of the Super Juniors tournament twice, the Super J-Cup Tournament, the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship and several other regional championships. All contributed to his wealth.
Benoit then briefly wrestled for World Championship Wrestling, and then returned to Japan. In 1994 he joined Extreme Championship Wrestling, where he became known as ‘Crippler Benoit’, after he broke another wrestler’s neck. In 1995, he returned to the World Championship Wrestling, taking his division’s championship, and soon becoming a member of the reformed Four Horsemen, a popular wrestling squad along with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman. Despite attaining great success and fame while with the squad, Benoit left it a few years later.
Although WCW refused to acknowledge his WCW World Heavyweight Championship title, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment acknowledged it, and Benoit soon joined the company. He formed a foursome called The Radicalz and shortly after became the Intercontinental Champion at WrestleMania 2000. He was then drafted into WWE’s SmackDown, where he won the 2004 Royal Rumble, earning a title shot at WrestleMania XX. He would eventually win the World Heavyweight Championship and Tag Team tournaments, becoming a wrestling star in the process, and boosting his net worth considerably.
Benoit later won the United States Championship on “Smackdown”, then in 2007 he was drafted back into the ECW, as part of the 2007 WWE Draft, and was scheduled to fight for the ECW World Championship. However, he didn’t appear due to a family emergency.
Shortly after, Benoit, his wife and their seven-year-old son were found dead at their house in Atlanta. Reportedly, he strangled his wife and son, and hanged himself the following day. It was later revealed that he had been suffering from severe brain damage, an advanced form of dementia.
The brilliant wrestler, who made a name for himself all over the world in promotions such as NJPW, CWA, ECW, WCW and WWF/E, held 22 titles, was a two-time world champion, WWE Triple Crown Champion and WCW Triple Crown Champion. He has been considered as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. This enabled him to achieve a worldwide fame, numerous awards and a considerable fortune.
When it comes to his personal life, Benoit was married twice; his first marriage was to Martina Benoit, with whom he had two children before their divorce in 1997. He married Nancy Sullivan, who was previously married to wrestler Kevin Sullivan, in 2000, and the couple had one child together before the tragic ending.
