Richard Rawlings Net Worth

What is Richard Rawlings' net worth?

Richard Rawlings is an American car builder, cross-country racer, entrepreneur, and reality television personality who has a net worth of $18 million.

Richard Rawlings is best known as the founder of Gas Monkey Garage and the star of the Discovery Channel series "Fast N' Loud." A lifelong car obsessive, Rawlings turned a childhood fascination with hot rods and classic vehicles into a full-scale lifestyle brand that expanded across television, restaurants, music venues, merchandise, energy drinks, tequila, and live events. Before becoming famous, he worked as a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, and business owner, eventually selling his printing and advertising company to fund his automotive dream. "Fast N' Loud," which premiered in 2012, made Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage globally recognizable by following the hunt for neglected classics, the pressure of tight builds, and the big-money flips that followed. His career has been built on equal parts car culture, showmanship, risk-taking, and entrepreneurial instinct.

Early Life

Richard Rawlings was born on March 30, 1969, in Fort Worth, Texas. His love of cars began early, thanks largely to his father, who took him to auto shows and involved him in building cars when Richard was still a child. That hands-on exposure shaped the rest of his life.

Rawlings bought his first car, a green 1974 Mercury Comet, when he was just 14 years old. By the time he was legally old enough to drive, he had already bought and sold several vehicles. In high school, he drove a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, a fitting choice for someone who would later build a career around American muscle, hot rods, speed, and automotive nostalgia.

He graduated from Eastern Hills High School in Fort Worth in 1987. Before finding fame, Rawlings worked a wide range of jobs. By his early twenties, he had reportedly served as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, and paramedic. Those jobs gave way to entrepreneurship when he founded Lincoln Press, a printing and advertising business that helped him build the capital for his next venture.

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Gas Monkey Garage

In 2002, Rawlings launched Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas. Two years later, he sold Lincoln Press to fully fund the garage and commit himself to the automotive business full-time. Gas Monkey specialized in finding, restoring, customizing, and flipping classic cars and hot rods for collectors and enthusiasts around the world.

The garage developed a reputation for bold builds, quick turnarounds, and Rawlings's ability to sell both cars and personality. He was not simply a mechanic or shop owner. He became the frontman for the business, combining car knowledge with a hustler's instinct for negotiation, branding, and storytelling.

Fast N' Loud

Before opening his garage, Richard Rawlings worked as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, paramedic, and owner and operator of his own printing and advertising company called Lincoln Press. In 2002, Rawlings sold Lincoln Press to open his Gas Monkey Garage. The auto shop creates automobiles for customers across the globe and has become a world-famous shop for hot rods. Since 2012, Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage have been the subject of a reality show on the Discovery Channel called "Fast N' Loud." Rawlings appears on the show alongside his employees Aaron Kaufman, KC Mathieu, and Scot McMillan. The four men look for rare cars and restore them. Some of their frequent buyers include Dennis Collins and Jay Riecke.

Gas Monkey Garage

In 2002, Rawlings launched Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas. Two years later, he sold Lincoln Press to fully fund the garage and commit himself to the automotive business full-time. Gas Monkey specialized in finding, restoring, customizing, and flipping classic cars and hot rods for collectors and enthusiasts around the world.

The garage developed a reputation for bold builds, quick turnarounds, and Rawlings's ability to sell both cars and personality. He was not simply a mechanic or shop owner. He became the frontman for the business, combining car knowledge with a hustler's instinct for negotiation, branding, and storytelling.

Other Television Work

Rawlings expanded his television presence with "Garage Rehab," which premiered in 2017. On that show, he visited struggling automotive shops and helped overhaul their operations, equipment, branding, workflow, and business strategy. The premise played to Rawlings's strengths as both a car guy and entrepreneur.

He also appeared in specials, interviews, automotive events, and promotional projects tied to Discovery, Gas Monkey, and the broader car culture world. His television success allowed him to turn his personal image into a business asset, with the Gas Monkey name becoming far more than the sign on a Dallas garage.

Business Ventures

Rawlings used the visibility from "Fast N' Loud" to build a larger Gas Monkey empire. In 2013, he opened Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill in Northwest Dallas. A second location opened at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 2014. That same year, he launched Gas Monkey Live, a large live music venue in Dallas.

He also expanded the brand into merchandise, apparel, energy drinks, and branded spirits. Over time, Rawlings moved toward a more direct-to-consumer model, recognizing that the Gas Monkey audience was valuable not only as television viewers, but as customers for clothing, drinks, events, and lifestyle products.

In 2015, Rawlings published his autobiography, "Fast N' Loud: Blood, Sweat and Beers," which detailed his journey from Texas car kid to television personality and entrepreneur.

Racing and Cannonball Run Record

Rawlings is also known for his passion for cross-country racing. He has competed in events including the Gumball 3000 and The Bullrun, winning both multiple times.

His most famous driving achievement came in 2007, when he and Dennis Collins reportedly broke the long-standing Cannonball Run record. They drove from New York City to Los Angeles in 31 hours and 59 minutes, averaging roughly 87.6 miles per hour across 2,811 miles. The record, which had stood since 1979, became part of Rawlings's legend as a risk-taking automotive personality. It was later broken in 2013.

According to another well-known story from his past, Rawlings was shot in the 1990s after confronting a carjacker who was trying to steal his 1965 Mustang 2+2.

(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Personal Life

In 1990, Rawlings married Karen Grames but divorced the following year.

In 1999, he married his second wife, Suzanne Marie Mergele. The couple divorced in 2009 but remarried in 2015. In March 2019, Rawlings announced via his Twitter account that Suzanne and Rawlings were separating and filing for divorce.

In August 2019, Rawlings proposed to girlfriend Katerina Deason. Rawlings announced their engagement across his social media, declaring love at first sight:

"The very second I laid eyes on you I knew….. Then only seconds later I realized your unbelievable beauty and grace came from within….. Right then I decided I wanted to spend all my seconds with you… Katerina, you are my everything and I promise to make the rest of our lives full of love and laughter. …You truly are my best friend and soulmate….. May God guide us through the rest of our lives as ONE….. I love you with all that I am. R"

According to legend, in the 1990s, Richard took a bullet when he came across a carjacker attempting to steal his 1965 Mustang 2+2.

Richard Rawlings is also a passionate transcontinental racer and has taken part in several rallies. He once held the world record for the fastest time in the Cannonball Run until his score was broken in 2013. To break that record, which had stood since 1979, Rawlings traveled 2811 miles from New York to Los Angeles in 31 hours and 59 minutes. That equates to an average driving speed of 87.6 MPH. He has also won both the Gumball 3000 and The Bullrun an unprecedented two times each.

Real Estate

Richard Rawlings owns a house in Dallas, Texas. Built in 1960 on 1.46 acres, the home has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms and offers a mid-century modern style bar with a retractable door, multiple decks, sunken bathtub, zen garden, outside master bath, and a private lake. His home is only four miles from the Gas Monkey Garage.

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