What is Rick Harrison’s Net Worth?
American business owner and reality TV personality Rick Harrison has about $9 million in net worth. His name is Harrison. He is part of the Harrison family, which starred on the TV show How the Pawn Works and runs the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pawn Stars is the popular reality TV show that showcased their transactions and funny events at their shop, and that is how they rose to fame.
Rick Harrison’s Early Life
Richard Kevin Harrison was born on March 22, 1965, in Lexington, North Carolina, to Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. and Joanne Harrison. He’s the third of four children. His sister, Sherry, passed away at age six, leaving behind two brothers, Joseph and Chris. With his father serving in the U.S. Navy, the family moved to San Diego when Rick was just two. Harrison began having epileptic seizures at eight, which kept him indoors and sparked his love of reading. He attended Taft Middle School in San Diego but left during his sophomore year to start a business selling fake Gucci bags, which earned him $2,000 a week. In 1981, the Harrisons relocated to Las Vegas.
Career
After moving to Las Vegas, Rick’s father opened his first secondhand store in 1981, a small 300-square-foot shop on Las Vegas Boulevard. Rick worked there by day and repossessed cars at night. In 1986, they moved to a bigger space, but after losing their lease in 1988, they found a new location on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Rick and his dad saw potential in turning their coin shop into a pawn shop, but city rules restricted pawn shop licenses. Rick called the city weekly until, in 1989, Las Vegas’ population hit a new threshold, and they were granted a license. The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop opened that year near the Las Vegas Strip. Rick and his father co-owned the shop until his father passed away in 2018.
By 2005, Rick and his father were issuing $3 million in loans annually, making around $700,000 in interest. By 2006, the pawnshop became popular for its unique sports memorabilia and for catering to gamblers needing quick cash. Rick spent years pitching a TV show about his shop, following a 2001 PBS feature and a spot on Insomniac with Dave Attell in 2003. In 2009, Pawn Stars premiered on the History Channel, becoming its most popular show, with renewals in batches of 80 episodes. Today, Rick’s son Corey and family friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell also star on the show, where Rick’s nickname, “The Spotter,” reflects his sharp eye for valuable items.
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Rick Harrison’s Personal Life
At 17, Rick’s girlfriend, Kim, became pregnant. Though they lost their first baby, they decided to marry. They welcomed their first son, Corey, on April 27, 1983, and had a second son, Adam, two years later. The couple separated shortly after Adam’s birth. Rick later met his second wife, Tracy, on a blind date, and after moving in together and marrying, they raised Corey and Adam until their eventual divorce. In 2012, Rick announced his engagement to Deanna Burditt, and they married in 2013 before divorcing in 2020. In 2021, Rick married Amanda Palmer. Rick has also shown interest in politics, considering a run for Nevada governor in 2022 and possibly for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Lawsuit
After Rick’s father, known as “The Old Man,” passed away in 2018, Rick’s mother, Joanne, filed a lawsuit over family assets and pawn shop ownership. Joanne claimed that Rick had her sign over her 51% ownership while she was hospitalized in 2000-2001. When her husband died, Joanne inherited his 49% share, but she says Rick withheld financial documentation and access to $500,000 in cash and silver she believes her husband amassed. She seeks damages, an asset accounting, and restrictions on Rick’s use of her funds.
Real Estate
In 2019, Rick listed his 8,845-square-foot Summerlin home in Las Vegas for $3.99 million. He purchased it in 2016 and invested $600,000 in renovations, including a $45,000 acid-washed granite floor. The home features a gym, seven bathrooms, a 12-seat home theater, a wine cellar for over 1,000 bottles, an elevator, and a sound system. The backyard has a pool, a spa, and a 10-foot waterfall leading into a lazy river. Overlooking both the Strip and Red Rock Canyon, the property also has an outdoor kitchen. Rick originally chose this location so his children could attend high school nearby.