- While a professional wrestler in the 1980s he began lobbying his fellow wrestlers to form a labor union. Once news of this reached Ventura's then friend Hulk Hogan, Hogan informed World Wrestling Entertainement owner Vince McMahon, who immediately put a stop to the proceedings. Hogan never bothered to tell Ventura what he did. Ventura eventually learned for himself in the 1990s, at which point he ceased to consider Hogan a friend.
- Wrote his autobiography a couple of years back when he was still governor of Minnesota. The title of his book was "I Ain't Got Time to Bleed", which was also one of his memorable lines in Predator (1987).
- In 1984, just before a scheduled Madison Square Garden main event with Hulk Hogan, Jesse was rushed to the hospital in San Diego with a pulmonary embolism. Treatment of the blood clot required blood thinners, any bleeding in the ring would have been dangerous. He claimed it was due to being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
- During the filming of the movie Predator (1987) became close friends with star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Is a Vietnam veteran although he did not actually see combat.
- Was involved in a controversy in 2012 when former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle claimed that he punched Ventura in 2006 at a bar in California after Ventura allegedly made derogatory remarks about the military. Ventura denied the allegations, saying that he never met Kyle. In retaliation, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Kyle for defamation.
- Both of his parents are World War II veterans.
- Worked as a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones for a brief time.
- Was a member of the Underwater Demolition Teams when he was in the Navy. The Underwater Demolition Teams were merged with the Navy SEALs in 1983, 8 years after Ventura left the Navy.
- Partially attributed for birth of the term "smart growth", but only because he said he didn't want any "dumb growth." His staff turned the term to the positive and it's now called "smart growth."
- Opted not to go for a second term as Minnesota governor, citing lack of privacy and being in the public eye so much. He said he made this decision solely based on the fact that at the time he was elected, many political figures were under scrutiny for their past histories and were having their personal lives thrust into the spotlight. Ventura said he did not want his family put into that position and accused the media of scrutinizing his family rather than focusing on important policy issues.
- Former mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN. Elected Governor of the state of Minnesota on the Reform Party ticket for the 1999 to 2003 term.
- A week before he had his embolism, Bobby Heenan was scheduled to be his new manager. With Jesse out, Bobby began managing Big John Studd (John Minton).
- His gubernatorial campaign earned only $300000, compared to the millions that both the Republican and Democratic candidates received.
- Counts actor, musician, and cannabis rights activist Tommy Chong as a very good friend.
- Is friends with Clint Eastwood.
- After being discharged from active duty from the military in 1973, Ventura joined a biker gang called the Mongols. Shortly after Ventura left the gang in 1974, the gang went into open warfare against the Hell's Angels, which was a rival gang. However, Ventura was not involved in any criminal activity during his time in the gang.
- Splits his time living in both Mexico and Minnesota with his wife. He has expressed interest in applying for dual citizenship in Mexico.
- Is of Slovak and German descent.
- Right around the time Hulk Hogan entered WCW, he left the company.
- A volunteer football coach at Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota.
- WWE Hall of Famer.
- In a 1999 interview for Playboy magazine, he declared organized religion "a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." In response to the subsequent criticism over that statement, he later clarified that he did not dislike most religious people, but criticized the views of religious fundamentalists, calling their views "weak and destructive.".
- Jesse Ventura played one of Wesley Snipes's CryoCon henchmen in Demolition Man (1993). He had a fight scene with Sylvester Stallone and it was cut out and shown in a TV spot back when Demolition Man was being released.
- Worked with Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War but never actually trained as one.
- Daughter Jade (b. 1984).
- Has an older brother who is also a Vietnam veteran.
- During the 2000 Minnesota State Fair, at the Jesse Ventura booth, T-shirts were being sold by donation that read "Got Underwear"
- Prior to being elected governors, he and Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared together in three films: Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), and Batman & Robin (1997).
- Did color commentary for the Minnesota Vikings radio network
- Last WWF appearance as a color commentator was WrestleMania VI (1990).
- Signed on to color commentate XFL games for the one season that it existed.
- Has a Belgian Malinois.
- Utters one of the best action movie lines of all time in Predator (1987) when after a comrade exclaims, "You're hit, you're bleedin' man!", Jesse (Blain) unblinkingly responds with, "I ain't got time to bleed".
- Took the name "Ventura" from the California city of that name which, in turn, is named after San Buenaventura.
- Has made three movies together with Sven-Ole Thorsen (The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987)and Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1990).
- Published author.
- Was mayor of the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park from 1991 to 1995.
- A 1969 graduate of Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis,
- The about-to-merge towns of St. Augusta and Luxembourg, Minnesota, are considering naming themselves Ventura. (2000)
- Considered running for the Senate in Minnesota in 2008 as an independent. However, he eventually decided against the idea, citing a potential lack of privacy for his family, especially his children. This was one of the concerns that prompted Ventura to refuse to seek a second term as governor in 2002. Ventura also stated part of his decision not to run was that being a Senator would have required considerable changes in his schedule, given that he also had been living part-time in Mexico for a few years at the time he considered a run for the Senate. Al Franken ended up winning the election as a Democrat.
- Republican Tim Pawlenty succeeded him as Minnesota governor in 2003.
- Teaching a seminar on third-party politics for the Spring 2004 term at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government (February 2004)
- Was a visiting fellow at Harvard in 2004.
- The character he played in all 3 Arnold Schwarzenegger films he was in dies.
- Served as color commentator alongside play-by-play broadcaster Gorilla Monsoon for the first six WrestleManias.
- Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election of the United States.
- Son Tyrel Ventura (b. 1979).
- Announces he will not run for re-election as governor of Minnesota, and will step down after current term (18 June 2002)
- Jesse's son, Tyrel Ventura, is an aspiring film director.
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