The financial legacy of the late Hulk Hogan is at the center of a mounting legal battle over the “Real American Beer” brand. Hogan, a foundational icon of professional wrestling, served as the centerpiece for the beverage’s market debut shortly before his death. Now, his estate is fighting an eight-figure breach of contract demand from Carma HoldCo Inc., a firm specializing in celebrity licensing. The branding agency argues it was the true architect of the product and was unfairly cut out of the profits.

TMZ reports Carma HoldCo claims to have designed the entire business model for the beer with the intention of positioning Hogan as the lead ambassador. The lawsuit suggests that former insiders from the company bypassed Carma to negotiate directly with the “Hulkster,” allegedly using proprietary strategies to secure a rival deal. Carma first initiated legal proceedings in mid-2025 and has since updated its filing to address the estate specifically.

On March 1, 2026, the estate’s legal counsel, Alan S. Gassman, submitted an official objection to the $10 million claim. The defense has consistently dismissed the accusations as baseless, asserting that no enforceable contract ever existed between Hogan and the branding firm.

“Previous filings from the defense call the allegations meritless and argue that Carma never had a binding agreement with Hogan, never developed an actual beer product, and had no protectable beer-related trade secrets,” Gassman noted in the objection. The estate maintains that the firm did not hold any unique or protected “trade secrets” regarding the actual manufacturing or sale of the lager.

With Hogan’s estate valued at over $11 million in property alone—excluding his digital assets and vast intellectual property—the stakes of this federal case are significant. As the legal proceedings continue, the court must decide if the early-stage discussions involving the man who once defined WWE RAW constitute a legally binding partnership.

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