Steve Austin Recalls Getting Increase in Royalties After Talking With Vince McMahon

Steve Austin saw his royalty paychecks increase following a quick conversation with Vince McMahon, as he recalled in a recent interview. Austin was a guest on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina and talked about how when his Austin 3:16 shirt became a hit, he noticed how his royalty checks were not what he expected they should be and talked with McMahon about it.

“WWE gets you royalty checks every quarter,” Austin said (per Wrestling Inc). “I remember when I first came up with that shirt … those shirts were everywhere, and I went and had a conversation with Vince, and I said ‘Hey man, I seen a lot of t-shirts out there, and I notice that my royalty check doesn’t reflect that.'”

Austin said that McMahon came up with a number for an increased percentage based on that number and said, “It became known as the Austin Deal… Vince wanted to hand-deliver this one to me because he goes ‘Steve, I’m just giving this to you because I’ve never given out a check like this before. To anyone.'”