NASCAR’s Highest Paid Driver Of 2020 Is A Former WWE Champion

The highest paid NASCAR driver in 2020 is no other than Kyle Busch. He is also a former WWE champion. Here’s how he built his fortune.

Busch came from a family of racers. His older brother, Kurt Busch, is a professional stock car racer. The younger Busch started driving at just 6 years old and competed when he was 13 years old. Since then, he recorded at least 65 races in legends car racing, per Celebrity Net Worth.

When not busy on the tracks, Busch enjoys doing other things he loves. He was featured in WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” but eventually won the “24/7” championship belt, a report from NBC Sports revealed. Nicknamed “Rowdy,” the NASCAR driver took the belt from former 24/7 champ R-Truth. The belt requires the holder to defend the title from the opponent 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The title may not have been an official one, but this shows his many activities outside racing.

The 35-year-old owns several businesses such as the Truck Series team and Kyle Busch Motorsports. According to Forbes, Busch became the highest paid NASCAR driver for the first time in 2020. He made $17.8 million. Of which, $16.1 million came from salary and winnings while the rest came from endorsement deals. Second on the list was Jimmie Johnson’s $17.6 million, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.

His growing popularity and a fanbase called “Rowdy Nation” make Busch the perfect ambassador for products. He even got involved in sports drinks after launching “Rowdy Energy” in partnership with beverage entrepreneur Jeff Church.

Johnson and Busch remain as the only two drivers who are getting paid $10 million. As with other sports, NASCAR felt the pinch of dwindling support from sponsors. But in the case of Johnson and Busch, the sponsors proved they are willing to splurge for the right talent. An average racer can only make around $3 million per year on salary alone.

The Las Vegas, Nevada native holds several records in his career. He has the distinction of getting the most wins in a season in NASCAR history.

On the personal side, he is married to Samantha Sarcinella. The couple has a son named Brexton Locke Busch. Busch and his wife appeared on a reality show called “Racing Wives” in 2019. With a long list of income streams and an emerging TV career, Busch is settled for life even if he gives up his racing career today.