Michael Buffer Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Michael Buffer’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $400 million, Michael Buffer is an American boxing announcer and entrepreneur. Buffer is renowned as one of the greatest ring announcers in boxing and wrestling history. He rose to global fame by creating his iconic catchphrase, “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble,” which he famously uses to start most significant boxing events. As detailed in the section below, Michael wisely secured a trademark for his well-known phrase, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties over the years.

Aside from boxing, Buffer’s unique voice and charming stage presence have secured him a variety of roles across different platforms, including professional wrestling events, World Series baseball games, NBA Finals, and popular TV shows and movies. His signature style and phrase have transformed him into one of the most recognizable personalities in sports entertainment.

How much does Michael Buffer make to say, “Let’s get ready to rumble”?

Buffer’s earnings for saying those five famous words range from $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the match. In rare instances, Buffer has received $1 million for a single event.

Trademark and Video Game Earnings

In the early 1980s, a 38-year-old Michael Buffer had yet to step into a boxing ring. Although a boxing enthusiast who watched major matches on TV, he had no ties to the sport, nor any idea of how to enter the world of announcing. Nevertheless, he understood that the current announcing style—lacking dramatic flair—was primed for enhancement. Thus, Michael decided to “enhance” his resume to reflect extensive announcing experience, landing his first role in 1982. His good looks and showmanship made him popular among boxing fans, even before coining his famous catchphrase. Within a year, he was announcing all boxing events promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank on ESPN, granting him a national platform when ring announcers were typically seen as anonymous local talents.

While achieving popularity as an announcer brought satisfaction, Michael couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed something unique to distinguish himself from the other anonymous announcers and to energize the entire arena. He soon realized that he must create a catchphrase or tagline exclusive to him, to deliver right before the main event.

Initially, Michael experimented with phrases like “Man your battle stations!” and “Fasten your seatbelts!“, but neither resonated well with the audience. One day, he recalled a famous phrase by Muhammad Ali: “I’m so pretty, I’m ready to rumble. Rumble, young man, rumble“. This memory inspired Michael to combine the phrase with…Another well-known line from New York sports announcer Sal Marchiano is: “We’re ready to rumble from Resorts International.” Buffer felt a spark of inspiration with this and toyed with the idea in his mind before ultimately arriving at:

“Let’s get ready to rumble!“

In the late 1980s and early ’90s, Michael served as the exclusive ring announcer for all boxing matches held in casinos owned by Donald Trump. This period, largely driven by Mike Tyson’s popularity, marked a renaissance for professional boxing. Buffer capitalized on this momentum, establishing a brand around his famous catchphrase. Additionally, he was the exclusive ring announcer for all World Championship Wrestling main events featuring Hulk Hogan and other prominent WCW wrestlers until the organization folded in 2001.

Over time, “LGRTR” brought Michael a variety of opportunities in advertisements, television shows, and films, such as “America’s Next Top Model, Cycle 18”, “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “2012”, “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” “Rocky Balboa,” “Against the Ropes,” “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” “Ready to Rumble,” “The Simpsons,” “Rocky V,” and “Harlem Nights.”

As Michael’s catchphrase gained traction, he began to notice its widespread usage. It was appearing in newspaper headlines, car dealership promotions, and all sorts of advertisements. This prompted Michael Buffer to make a smart yet straightforward business move: he opted to file for a trademark.

In fact, it was Bruce Buffer, Michael’s long-lost half-brother and future UFC announcer, who first proposed the idea of applying for a trademark. Bruce drew inspiration from NBA coach Pat Riley’s success in trademarking the term “threepeat.” Just a few months following the Chicago Bulls’ first threepeat in 1993, the Buffer brothers decided to pursue the trademark. Once granted, Michael Buffer became the owner of those five iconic words. Bruce recently shared with the Wall Street Journal:

“When I decided to trademark the rumble phrase, part of my inspiration was ‘three-peat’ and the Riley story. It just solidified that you can do this.”

With the trademark in hand, anyone wishing to use the phrase is required to pay Michael. Since 1992, Michael has made hundreds of millions of dollars by licensing the phrase for use in songs, video games, television shows, films, and a vast array of merchandise. He’s even received six-figure sums for corporate events and speaking engagements globally. Do you know what the first track was on ESPN’s platinum-selling 1995 album “Jock Jams, Volume 1”? LGRTR. And what was the first track on Jock Jams’ subsequent remix album? LGRTR. Numerous sports teams across the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB have licensed Michael’s phrase to energize their crowds during games. One of the most notable licensing agreements occurred with the video game “Ready to Rumble.” Following the game’s remarkable success, game maker Midway reportedly paid Buffer $100 million to use his phrase indefinitely.

Early Life

Michael Buffer was born on November 2, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His father was involved in the United States

Born at a time when his father served in the Navy during World War II, Buffer faced challenges early in life. His parents divorced when he was merely 11 months old, leading to his upbringing by foster parents, a school bus driver and his wife. Buffer joined the United States Army and served in the Vietnam War from the ages of 20 to 23. Following his military service, he took on various roles including car salesman, model, and actor.

Boxing Announcer

Michael’s journey as a boxing ring announcer began in 1982, and by 1983 he was the voice behind all boxing matches broadcast on ESPN. His career skyrocketed, particularly when he strategically trademarked his signature catchphrase, “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” in 1984. He successfully secured a federal trademark for the phrase in 1992, having initiated the process in the mid-’80s. During the late 1980s, he was the exclusive ring announcer for boxing events at casinos owned by Donald Trump. Many boxing legends, including Sugar Ray Leonard, have praised Buffer’s announcing style. Leonard once remarked, “When you introduce a fighter, it makes him want to fight.” Throughout his career, Michael has earned $400 million solely from trademark licensing. He later joined DAZN as the exclusive ring announcer for its boxing broadcasts. In 2007, Buffer notably announced at Madison Square Garden during Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXV between Evander Holyfield and Matt Hardy. On August 25, 2018, he took on the role of announcer for a YouTube boxing bout featuring Logan Paul and KSI.

Wrestling

Buffer was the sole ring announcer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) main events, which prominently featured stars like Hulk Hogan, until 2001. Although WCW eventually ceased operations, he continued as the lead announcer through its former parent company, Time Warner, for their pay-per-view events. HBO has aired several matches produced by Top Rank. Prior to the dissolution of WCW, his exclusive contract had prevented him from announcing for UFC; however, he was then free to take on assignments in other wrestling promotions.

Other Ventures

Beyond wrestling and boxing, Buffer’s announcing prowess has extended to significant events like the MLB World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, the Volunteer 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and NFL playoff games. He was the announcer for the mixed martial arts event Affliction: Banned on July 19, 2008. Later that year, he officiated the finale of the 2008 World Series of Poker, adapting his catchphrase to “Let’s get ready to shuffle up and deal.” In 2017, he served as a guest announcer at the United States Grand Prix. Additionally, Buffer has creatively altered his trademark phrase for promotional campaigns, like for Mega Millions (“Let’s get ready to win big!”), Kraft Cheese (“Let’s get ready to crumble!”), and Progressive Insurance (“Let’s get ready to bundle!”).

Appearing on various talk shows, Buffer has made guest appearances on programs hosted by David Letterman, Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel. He has also featured as a guest star…

Featured on “Saturday Night Live,” “In Living Color,” “Mad TV,” and the “Howard Stern Show,” Buffer has also made appearances in numerous films and TV shows. Some of these include “Creed” (where he plays himself), “Grudge Match,” and “America’s Next Top Model.” Additionally, he has been in “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “2012,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” “Rocky Balboa” (again playing himself), “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” “Ready to Rumble,” “The Simpsons,” and “Rocky V.” Notably, in 2007, he appeared on an episode of “Deal or No Deal” aired on NBC. Buffer also featured in the 2019 remake of “Dumbo,” delivering the memorable line, “Let’s get ready for Dumbo!”

Personal Life

In 2008, Michael underwent treatment for throat cancer.

His rise to fame has played a significant role in reconnecting him with estranged family members from his earlier life. Following his appearance on television, Buffer was contacted by his birth father in 1989, which led to his introduction to his half-brothers, including Bruce Buffer, who is now a UFC announcer. Bruce initially worked as Michael’s agent/manager.

At the age of 21, Buffer entered into marriage but divorced seven years later, resulting in two sons: Michael and Matthew. It wasn’t until 1999 that he remarried, though that union ended in divorce in 2003. During a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” he proposed to his third wife, Christine, and the couple remains happily married. Currently, Christine and Michael Buffer live in Southern California.