Theodore Marvin Wills DiBiase Sr. was born on the 18th January 1954 in Miami, Florida, USA, and is a former professional wrestler, then wrestling manager and sports commentator who, as Ted DiBiase, is most famous as “The Million Dollar Man” with 30 wrestling titles in his portfolio.
Have you ever wondered how many millions The Million Dollar Man actually has? How rich Ted DiBiase is? According to sources, his nickname is completely justified – it is estimated that Ted DiBiase’s overall net worth, as of early 2016, is $1 million including a “Million Dollar Championship Belt” worth “only” $140,000.
Ted DiBiase Net Worth $1 Million
Ted was born to Helen Nevins, a wrestler, and Ted Wills, a singer and entertainer, but in 1959 was legally adopted by Mike “Iron” DiBiase, also a wrestler, so it is no wonder that he was predestined to became successful in wrestling. Ted DiBiase’s descent is mostly English and German, but includes Italian too. After matriculating from Creighton Preparatory High School he enrolled at West Texas State University on a football scholarship, but after a serious injury in his senior year, he dropped out and directed his efforts towards a wrestling career.
Ted DiBiase began his professional career in wrestling in 1974 as a referee, but within a year he started wrestling in the Mid-South Wrestling League (MSW), in which he spent the next four years. In 1979, Ted began competing in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and soon won the title of the first champion of the North American Championship. These engagements provided the basis for Ted DiBiase’s net worth.
Subsequently, he returned to MSW and stayed there ’til 1987. Prior to returning to WWF in 1987, under the name “The Million Dollar Man”, he also competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 1983 and 1987. The WWF labeled Ted as the most despised villain with an evil laugh as his trademark. His appearance consisted of dollar-sign-covered suit with gold studs and the custom made, diamond-encrusted “Million Dollar Championship Belt” which is currently locked in Titan Towers in Stamford , Connecticut. All these involvements, besides raising Ted DiBiase’s popularity, certainly increased his net worth.
In 1992, alongside Irwin R. Schyster (aka IRS), Ted formed Money Inc, the tag team which won the WWF Tag Team Championship three times in a row. Apart from this title, Ted DiBiase’s most notable titles, of the 30 which he won in his career, include Missouri Title, WWF North American Heavyweight Title, Central States Title, NWA United National Heavyweight Title as well as Mid-South Tag Team Titles and UWF Team Titles. All these accomplishments helped Ted to add a lot of revenue to the overall size of his wealth.
Additionally, Ted DiBiase created the Million Dollar Championships, his own title. Apparently, in 1988 Ted bought a WWF Championship Belt from Andre the Giant, but the federation has never officially recognized as an title reign.
In 1994, Ted DiBiase retired from wrestling, but has occasionally returned as a guest commentator, and later as the manager of, among others, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin. In 2010, Ted was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.
When it comes to his personal life, Ted DiBiase was married to Jaynet Foreman between 1973 and 1980 and with whom he has one child. With his second wife, Melanie Kennedy(m. 1981), Ted has two children. All of his three sons are involved in wrestling, and continued where their father left off.
Ted DiBiase has also published three books so far. As an ordained Christian minister and founder of Hearth of David Ministry, he travels all around the globe and ministers to conferences and camps such as Youth Of The Nation and Promise Keepers.
