Michael Buffer Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Michael Buffer’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $400 million, Michael Buffer stands out as an American boxing announcer and entrepreneur. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest ring announcers in the history of boxing and wrestling matches. Buffer gained international fame by creating his iconic catchphrase, “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble,” which he typically uses to open major boxing events. As explained in the following section, Michael strategically trademarked his memorable phrase, which has generated hundreds of millions in royalties over the years.

In addition to boxing, Buffer’s recognizable voice and captivating presence have earned him opportunities in various fields, such as professional wrestling events, World Series baseball games, NBA Finals, as well as numerous appearances in popular TV shows and movies. His unique style and catchphrase have solidified his status as one of the most identifiable personalities in sports entertainment.

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

Michael Buffer’s fees for announcing his famous phrase range from $25,000 to $100,000 per event, based on the match’s significance. On a few exceptionally rare occasions, he has commanded $1 million for a single appearance.

Trademark and Video Game Earnings

In the early 1980s, a 38-year-old Michael Buffer had yet to step into a boxing ring. Although he enjoyed watching big matches on TV, he lacked any real connection to the sport or knowledge of how to enter the announcing field. He did, however, recognize that the announcing style of that era — lacking in dramatic flair — was ripe for improvement. Thus, Michael decided to embellish his resume to highlight a wealth of announcing experience that he didn’t possess yet, leading to his first job in 1982. His natural charm and showmanship, even before establishing his famous catchphrase, endeared him to boxing fans. Within just a year, he was the voice of every boxing match promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank on ESPN, allowing him to reach a national audience during a time when ring announcers were largely anonymous local talents.

While being a sought-after announcer was rewarding, Michael felt something was still missing — a unique element that would differentiate him from all the other faceless announcers and energize the entire arena. He determined he needed to create a memorable saying. A catchphrase. A slogan. A tagline. Something he could proclaim with authority right before the main event.

Initially, Michael experimented with phrases like “Man your battle stations!” and “Fasten your seatbelts!” but neither resonated with the audience. Then one day, he recalled a well-known statement by Muhammad…

“`Ali’s phrase, “I’m so pretty, I’m ready to rumble. Rumble, young man, rumble,” was creatively merged by Michael with another iconic phrase from Sal Marchiano, a New York sports announcer: “We’re ready to rumble from Resorts International.” Buffer sensed that he had stumbled upon something unique. He pondered over it for a while and ultimately came up with:

“Let’s get ready to rumble!“

During the late 1980s and early 90s, Michael served as the exclusive ring announcer for boxing matches at casinos owned by Donald Trump. This period, primarily due to Mike Tyson’s influence, marked a renaissance in professional boxing. Seizing this opportunity, Buffer established a brand for himself with his widely recognized catchphrase. Additionally, Michael was the sole ring announcer for all major World Championship Wrestling events featuring prominent wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, maintaining this role until 2001 when the organization ceased operations.

Over time, Michael’s catchphrase “LGRTR” propelled him into numerous advertising campaigns, television shows, and films, including “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 his new catchphrase gained traction, Michael observed it appearing everywhere—from newspaper headlines to car dealership promotions and various advertisements. This prompted Michael Buffer to make a remarkably straightforward yet savvy business move: he opted to file for a trademark.

Interestingly, it was Bruce Buffer, Michael’s long-lost half-brother and a future UFC announcer, who first proposed the idea of applying for a trademark. Inspired after learning how NBA coach Pat Riley made a significant profit from trademarking the term “threepeat,” Bruce encouraged the Buffers to pursue their own trademark just a few months after the Chicago Bulls achieved their initial threepeat in 1993. Upon receiving the trademark, Michael Buffer secured ownership 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 wanting to use the phrase must compensate Michael. Since 1992, he has accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars through licensing the phrase for use in songs, video games, movies, TV shows, and a plethora of merchandise. Additionally, he enjoys six-figure payouts for corporate events and speaking engagements worldwide. What was the very first track featured on ESPN’s platinum-selling 1995 album “Jock Jams, Volume 1”? LGRTR. And what was the opening track on the follow-up remix album? LGRTR. Numerous professional sports teams across the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB have utilized Michael’s phrase to energize their audiences during games. One of the most notable licensing agreements occurred with the video game “Ready to Rumble.” Following its immense success, game developer Midway reportedly compensated Buffer $100 million for licensing his phrase indefinitely.

Early Life

Michael Buffer was born on November 2, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he spent his childhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the time of his birth, his father was serving in the United States Navy during World War II. When Buffer was only 11 months old, his parents divorced, leading him to be raised by foster parents—a school bus driver and his spouse. During the Vietnam War, Buffer enlisted in the United States Army, serving from ages 20 to 23. After completing his military service, he explored various occupations, including car sales, modeling, and acting.

Boxing Announcer

Michael initiated his career as a ring announcer in 1982, and by 1983, he was announcing all boxing matches on ESPN. This role brought him remarkable fame and wealth, particularly after he cleverly trademarked his iconic catchphrase, “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” in 1984. Following a lengthy process, he achieved a federal trademark for that phrase in 1992, having begun this journey in the mid-’80s. In the late 1980s, he served as the exclusive ring announcer for boxing events at casinos owned by Donald Trump. Buffer’s work has received acclaim from boxing legends like Sugar Ray Leonard, who once remarked, “When you introduce a fighter, it makes him want to fight.” Over his career, Michael has generated $400 million purely from trademark licensing. He signed with DAZN to be the sole ring announcer for its boxing broadcasts. Notably, he announced during the boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Matt Hardy on Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXV in 2007 at Madison Square Garden. On August 25, 2018, he served as the announcer for a YouTube boxing match featuring Logan Paul and KSI.

Wrestling

Up until 2001, Buffer was the primary ring announcer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) main events, which included famed personalities like Hulk Hogan. Although WCW eventually shut down, Buffer continued to work as the lead announcer for pay-per-view matches through Time Warner, the company that once owned WCW. HBO aired several matches from the promoter Top Rank. While his exclusive contract initially prevented him from announcing for the UFC, he was later able to take on announcing roles in other wrestling promotions once WCW ended.

Other Ventures

Apart from his work in boxing and wrestling, Buffer has lent his announcing skills to several significant events, including the MLB World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, the Volunteer 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway, and NFL playoff games. He announced at the mixed martial arts event Affliction: Banned on July 19, 2008. Later that same year, he was the announcer at the finale of the 2008 World Series of Poker, where he adapted his catchphrase to “Let’s get ready to shuffle up and deal.” In 2017, he acted as a guest announcer for the 2017 United States Grand Prix. Buffer has also tailored his trademark phrase for various promotional campaigns, such as 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!”).

Buffer has made guest appearances on talk shows including those hosted by David Letterman, Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel. Additionally, he featured as a guest on “Saturday Night Live,” “In Living Color,” “Mad TV,” and the “Howard Stern Show.” He has had roles in various films and television series, such as “Creed” (where he portrayed himself), “Grudge Match,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “2012,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” “Rocky Balboa” (also as himself), “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” “Ready to Rumble,” “The Simpsons,” and “Rocky V.” In NBC’s “Deal or No Deal,” he appeared in an episode in 2007. Buffer also took part in the 2019 remake of “Dumbo,” delivering the line, “Let’s get ready for Dumbo!”

Personal Life

In 2008, Michael underwent treatment for throat cancer.

Thanks to his rise to fame, he has been able to reconnect with family members he had lost touch with in the past. In 1989, after seeing Buffer on television, his birth father reached out to him. Soon after, he met his half-brothers, one of whom is Bruce Buffer, currently known for his work as a UFC announcer. Bruce originally served as Michael’s agent/manager.

Michael got married at 21 but ended up divorcing seven years later. This union resulted in two sons, Michael and Matthew. It wasn’t until 1999 that he remarried, but that marriage ended in 2003. During a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” he proposed to his third wife, Christine, and they remain married to this day. Currently, Michael Buffer and Christine reside in Southern California.