'I've Got the Bug for Business': See All of Mark Wahlberg's Entrepreneurial Endeavors, From Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch to Wahlburgers Mark Wahlberg owns businesses in several categories, including entertainment production, apparel, fitness, and nutrition.
By Sam Silverman •
Key Takeaways
- "I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, I've got the bug. I've got the bug for business," Wahlberg said.
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Mark Wahlberg turned 52 on June 5, and the actor celebrated with a pop-up of his clothing line, Municipal, in Boston. But before he got the business bug, Wahlberg grew up in nearby Dorchester, where he began his career in the early 1990s in music with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and modeling with Calvin Klein.
The "Good Vibrations" kept coming for Wahlberg, whose breakout acting role in Boogie Nights led to other leading performances and working with Hollywood legends in movies such as The Departed.
Now, Wahlberg is the proud owner of several businesses that span a variety of industries including fitness, food, and even clothing. Wahlberg's latest venture is turning Las Vegas into "Hollywood 2.0," where he is building a "state-of-the-art" studio that will create 10,000 jobs, he told Fox Business.
"The average salary would be $100,000 more than what it is now," Wahlberg said. The average pay for a studio technician in Nevada is currently $58,000. "We want to train people both in front of and behind the camera, create jobs, most importantly, first and foremost, for locals," Wahlberg added.
In his 2021 HBO Max docuseries Wahl Street, which he produced, Wahlberg said he loves business and entrepreneurship. "I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, I've got the bug. I've got the bug for business, and I've got people who are, like, putting in parts of their life savings, and betting their future on me and us," he said in the doc, adding, "So I'm going to work twice as hard to make sure that I am bringing something to the table that's beneficial to other people."
How many businesses does Mark Wahlberg own? Keep scrolling for a look behind the businesses.
What are Mark Wahlberg's businesses?
1. Closest to the Hole
Wahlberg launched his production company, Closest to the Hole, in 2004. Since then, the company has produced or co-produced more than 15 films including the HBO series Entourage (2004–11), which was loosely based on his own life and rise to fame in Hollywood. In 2015, Entourage the movie grossed around $49 million worldwide.
2. Unrealistic Ideas
Wahlberg created Unrealistic Ideas, an unscripted production company focused on podcasts and documentaries, with documentary filmmaker Archie Gips and manager/producing partner Stephen Levinson in 2018. The company produced McMillon$, about a fraud scheme that plagued McDonald's, and Wahl Street about Wahlberg's life.
3. Wahlburgers
Wahlberg founded the burger restaurant Wahlburgers in 2011 with his brothers Donnie Wahlberg, known as a member of the long-time music group New Kids on the Block and CBS's long-running drama "Blue Bloods," and Paul Wahlburger, a chef.
The family business was featured in the reality show "Wahlburgers" on the A&E network from 2014 until 2019. Today, the business has 50 locations and $100 million in annual revenue.
4. Aquahydrate
Wahlberg invested in Aquahydrate, electrolyte-enhanced water, in 2012, per Food Navigator-USA. Forbes reported in 2015 that Wahlburger invested in the brand when it was in "rough shape" in terms of cash flow and recruited other celebrity investors including Sean "Diddy" Combs to back the company. Together, Diddy and Wahlberg invested $20 million into the business.
The brand was later acquired by Alkaline Water in 2019. Following the acquisition, the company brought in $15.9 million in net revenue for the quarter ending in December 2022.
5. Performance Inspired
Wahlberg founded an all-natural nutrition company called Performance Inspired in 2016 with industry veteran Tom Dowd. The products, including protein powder, can be found at major retailers like GNC. The brand reportedly generates $4 million in annual revenue.
6. Mark Wahlberg Auto Group
In 2018, Wahlberg opened a car dealership, Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet in Columbus, with his friend and Michigan auto dealer Jay Feldman. Since then they have opened four more dealerships across the Ohio area.
7. F45
Wahlberg bought a pre-IPO stake in F45 — a chain of gyms that specializes in HIIT-style workouts that aim to help you burn 750 calories in a 45-minute session — in 2019 when the business was valued at roughly $450 million, per Bloomberg. He owns a 1.73% stake in the company, Reuters reported in October. Wahlberg became the company's chief brand officer in March 2023.
The brand generates $170 million in revenue with 2,042 total studios across 74 countries.
8. Municipal
Wahlberg started his clothing line, Municipal, in 2020.
"We wanted to create stuff that looked cool, that fit and felt great, stuff that you could wear to work, you could wear it to work out and wear out at night," Wahlberg told Rolling Stone. "We wanted to create something that was a great value proposition to every guy and gal who's out there working hard to be the best version of themselves, you know?"
The brand expects to grow in the billion-dollar athleisure industry and continue to increase sales by leveraging brand awareness with high school sports and college athletes, according to Forbes. The first store is set to open in California in 2023. Although there isn't any news on any other stores at the moment, the brand recently opened a pop-up in the Boston area.
What is Mark Wahlberg's net worth?
With all of Wahlberg's various business endeavors and his long career in the entertainment industry, it's no surprise he is worth a heaping fortune. In 2020, Wahlberg's reported fortune was around $58 million, garnering his spot on the 100 Top Earning Celebrities list for that year. However, more recent reports estimate his net worth to be closer to $400 million on account of his nine-figure businesses.
