Neil Giraldo Net Worth

What is Neil Giraldo's Net Worth?

Neil Giraldo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who has a net worth of $40 million. That is a combined net worth with his wife of 30+ years, Pat Benatar. Neil is Pat's musical partner and guitar player. They first began playing together in 1979.  He has also performed with and written and produced music for such artists as Rick Springfield, Rick Derringer, Kenny Loggins, and Beth Hart.

Early Life and Education

Neil Giraldo was born on December 29, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio to Sicilian parents Angela and Anthony. He has a sister named Priscilla. Giraldo began playing music at an early age, learning the guitar, piano, and drums. He performed for family and friends after church, and at the age of 14 began playing at nightclubs with local bands. Giraldo was educated at Parma Senior High School.

Professional Music Career

In 1978, Giraldo got his professional start in the music industry as a member of Rick Derringer's band. He contributed both guitar and piano to Derringer's 1979 album "Guitars and Women." Around this time, songwriter and record producer Mike Chapman introduced Giraldo to singer-songwriter Pat Benatar, who had recently signed a contract with Chrysalis Records. Giraldo went on to become Benatar's primary musical collaborator, starting with her 1979 debut album "In the Heat of the Night." In addition to providing lead guitar, keyboards, and backup vocals to the album, Giraldo wrote the hit track "We Live for Love." A substantial hit, "In the Heat of the Night" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 in early 1980. Benatar's second album, "Crimes of Passion," came out that summer; it reached number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the top-10 hit single "Hit Me with Your Best Shot." For Benatar's next album, "Precious Time" (1981), Giraldo served as a producer for the first time. The album was another hit for both artists, peaking atop the Billboard 200. Also in 1981, Giraldo provided guitar and bass to Rick Springfield's hit album "Working Class Dog." The following year, he contributed to Benatar's album "Get Nervous" and produced John Waite's debut solo album "Ignition."

Benatar's fifth studio album, "Tropico," came out in late 1984. Giraldo co-produced the hit album and co-wrote most of its songs. The pair continued their success in 1985 with the album "Seven the Hard Way." After that, Giraldo produced two albums by the rock band the Del-Lords: "Johnny Comes Marching Home" (1986) and "Based on a True Story" (1988). He also worked with Benatar on her 1988 album "Wide Awake in Dreamland." Benatar released two more studio albums on Chrysalis, "True Love" (1991) and "Gravity's Rainbow" (1993), before leaving the label. On CMC International, she released the album "Innamorata" in 1997. Benatar didn't release her next studio album, "Go," until 2003. In the meantime, Giraldo composed the score for the 2001 film "Nailed." He went on to do another score for the 2005 film "Smile." Giraldo has collaborated with a number of other artists over the years, including Beth Hart, Steve Forbert, and Scott Kempner. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Benatar.

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Charity

A longtime advocate for children, Giraldo has frequently hosted and performed at fundraising events for the non-profit group the Children's Lifesaving Foundation. The organization provides support to unhoused and at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area. Elsewhere in California, Giraldo has been involved with the Oakland School for the Arts, where he helped build the Neil Giraldo Recording Studio. In 2019, he became a member of the board of directors of the United Outreach Foundation, which addresses issues related to homelessness, food scarcity, and animal welfare, among other concerns.

Steel Bending Spirits

In 2017, Giraldo founded the spirits company Steel Bending Spirits in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company released its debut product, Three Chord Bourbon, in the summer of 2018. A year later, Steel Bending Spirits introduced Twelve Bar Reserve and Amplify Rye.

Personal Life

Giraldo has been married to his musical partner Pat Benatar since 1982, when they wed in Hāna, Hawaii. Together, they have two daughters named Haley and Hana. Both daughters appeared on the E! reality television series "Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive" and "Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules."

Real Estate

In 2017, Pat and Neil sold their longtime Maui home for $3.2 million. Situated on slightly more than an acre, they also previously owned the empty lot next door, which was sold for $400,000. In 2007, the couple purchased just under 10 acres of undeveloped land in Malibu, California, for $1.675 million. They slowly turned this property into a large primary residence, which today is likely worth north of $10 million. They have owned at least two other properties in Malibu, including one that they sold in 2003 for $4.5 million and another they sold in 1999 for $3 million. In total, the Benatar/Giraldo real estate portfolio alone is likely worth at least $15 million.

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