3. Stone cold leaves.
The year 2002 was fine.
Estimated Total Fine: $250,000*
When Steve Austin left the WWE in 2002 over a conflict of interest, his illustrious career there came to an end. According to rumors, Austin wasn’t interested in Vince McMahon’s plan for “Stone Cold” to lose to Brock Lesnar, who was a rookie at the time, on a RAW show.
Walks Away, Stone Cold ©u/Concrete7v/Reddit
Simply put, there was no build-up at all for the WWE’s face to lose to a rookie on free TV. Austin consequently left the company, losing $650,000 in the process. Later, Vince was persuaded to reduce the amount to $250,000 by the “Rattlesnake.”