Chumlee is a reality television star and businessman with a net worth of $5 million. He’s most known for featuring on the reality TV series Pawn Stars, which chronicles the day-to-day operations of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
Early Life
Austin Lee Russell was born in Henderson, Nevada, on September 8, 1982, and he is of Scottish descent. Due to his wide face and thick chin, his father likened him to the walrus Chumley from the cartoon series Tennessee Tuxedo when he was 12. Thus, the name Chumlee was born and it has stuck since.
Pawnshop Career
As a youngster, he became close friends with Corey Harrison and through their friendship it helped him get a job at the pawn shop. Chumlee began working for the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop at 21 years old. He may come across as a lazy individual but his responsibilities include working behind the counter, valuing items, loading goods, and printing tickets for customer purchases.
By the time Pawn Stars started airing on the History Channel, Chumlee had already worked there for five years. He is portrayed as the foil in the series and is normally the brunt of his jones. He has responded to claims of being slow by showing his knowledge of pinball machines. Nevertheless, Chumlee is a fan favorite.
Other Ventures
According to celebritynetworth.com, Chumlee earns $25,000 per episode. As a result of Pawn Stars’ success, he started a business selling novelty products and charges for media appearances. In 2010, he sold half of his shares in the business to Rick Harrison for $155,000. He did this for the store to better manage orders of Russell’s goods.
Due to his fame, his merchandise revenues have eclipsed those of his co-stars. In May 2017, he set up Chumlee’s Candy on the Boulevard, located across the road from the pawnshop. The candy store is still in business and he co-owns it with his brother Sage Russell.
Weightloss Journey
After his father died from pancreatic cancer at 54, he was encouraged to make lifestyle changes. He exercised six days per week and changed his diet to include more juice, veggies, and no red meat. Thanks to this regime, Chumlee lost a whopping 110 pounds.
The results didn’t stick though and he regained the weight, getting back up to 350 pounds. Similar to Corey Harrison, he went under the knife to lose weight. He got gastric sleeve surgery and lost 160 lbs! In the operation, a large piece of his stomach was apparently removed.
Personal Life
He loves collecting shoes and currently has over 200 pairs. Austin is also a car collector who has a Rolls-Royce, Range Rover, Maserati, Cadillac, and a 1964 Impala SS. Sports. Pokémon cards, video games, and skating are among his other passions.
As for his love life, Chumlee is married to Olivia Rodeman. They started dating in 2016 when the television personality was facing legal issues. But Olivia stood by him, and they tied the knot in 2019.
