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Dave Bautista has come a long way. From living in poverty in Washington to being a part of the Avengers, Bautista’s rags to riches story is both compelling and inspiring. With his growing list of upcoming roles, Bautista’s profile is sure to rise even more. Thanks to all of the projects he’s been a part of, Bautista has accumulated a comfortable amount of wealth for himself.

Dave Bautista got into wrestling because he couldn’t support his family

Dave Batista smirking
Dave Bautista | Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

Growing up in Washington, he floated around his community, joining gangs and hanging out with rough crowds. On Rosenbaum’s Inside Of You podcast, Bautista began working out for no other reason than to fill out his body. At 6’5, Bautista admitted he had long limbs and was “gangly.” This led to him wanting a fuller physique.

Towards his late 20s, Bautista worked as a club bouncer. He considers his breaking point to be having to borrow money to buy presents for his children. “I had two kids at the time, and I was broke,” Bautista said on the podcast. “I remember I gotta make a change, and that’s when I decided to pursue wrestling.”

In 2000, Bautista would join the WWE’s developmental brand OVW alongside the likes of John Cena. In 2002, Bautista was called up to one of the main wrestling shows and immediately left a lasting impression. Three years later Bautista found himself at the top of the company, making more than a decent living off of wrestling.

What’s Dave Bautista worth?

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According to Celebrity net worth, Bautista is worth $16 million. How much of his net worth is based on wrestling, and how much is based on acting is unclear, although it might be safe to assume the bulk of his worth has come from acting. Bautista was at the top of the Ws “gangly.” This led to him wanting a fuller physique.

WE at his peak, and although no official salary was ever divulged, it was estimated his salary was well over six figures.

After he left the WWE, however, Bautista remarks on Inside Of You that the IRS took “a lot” of money. Sportskeeda reports that Bautista made over $1.4 million for Guardians of The Galaxy, and more than double that for its sequel, although it hasn’t been officially confirmed. Nevertheless, $16 million is far more than what he had back when he was bouncing, showing just how far he’s come in his career.

Dave Bautista’s personal life

Dave Bautista is a father of two girls in Keilani and Athena Bautista. They were both born from his first marriage in Glenda Bautista, who he married in 1990. The two divorced eight years later. Bautista is also a grandparent as his daughter Keilani has two children of her own. He also has a son born from his second marriage with Angie Bautista, with the couple lasting from 1998 to 2006. His last wife, Sarah Jade, was a pole dancer to who he was married from 2015 to 2019.

What’s next for Dave Bautista?

Bautista is set to star in two highly anticipated films. He will be featured in Denis Dinevuelle’s Dune next month and re-teams with Spectre co-star Daniel Craig for Knives Out 2. Bautista will also be starring in his third and last Guardians of The Galaxy film scheduled to release in 2023. With so many opportunities now present for Bautista, his net worth is bound to rise, and he’s earned every penny.