For some people, the key to living a rich, rewarding life is finding a suitable alter ego. That’s definitely been the case for Garrett Mitchell, who reinvented himself as Cleetus McFarland, often described as the most fascinating car guy on YouTube.
This might sound like a somewhat superficial title, but it’s serious business. As of 2023, Cleetus McFarland has a net worth of $2 million. That’s a lot of money for just being a car guy.
Early Days
Born in 1995 in Omaha, Nebraska in 1995, Garrett studied to become a lawyer during his college days. That sounds like the perfect setup for a boring life, but he wasn’t having it. Instead, Garrett worked as a social media manager for 1320Video, a car media company and later left to work full-time on his YouTube channel.
Mitchell invented the Cleetus McFarland persona in 2015 while filming at an automotive event in Florida. The main prop for the gig was a modified Camaro, along with a redneck accent and an outfit to match. The rest, as they say, was history, and a star was born.
Turning Cleetus Into a Business
Plenty of guys have done the redneck schtick but Mitchell has taken Cleetus to a new level. He’s the leader of Team McFarland, and the rules for his content are simple – make them funny and entertaining, with plenty of fast cars.
Cleetus McFarland takes his cars to the ragged edge, and occasionally he goes over the line. He’s a talented drag racer, and a lot of thought goes into the GM cars and trucks he modifies.
Freedom Factory
McFarland and his team have a shop called the Freedom Factory, and Mitchell has been so successful turning his alter ego into a business that he actually bought the Desoto Speedway track to go with the shop in Bradenton, Florida. It’s estimated that he paid under $1 million for the track.
Merch Store
His Cleetus-based merchandising line is the key to much of his wealth, and Mitchell takes this quite seriously. He’s often featured in Cleetus videos fulfilling orders along with his team members. His girlfriend even shows up in a few of the videos to lend a hand.
YouTube Earnings and Sponsors
On average, his channel receives around 15 to 18 million views every month. As a result, McFarland makes an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 per month from YouTube ad revenue. In addition, he has sponsorships with the likes of Holley, Motion Raceworks and Nitto Tire.
Personal Life
Not surprisingly, Cleetus’s partner is a pretty blonde named Madison Lutz. She’s also an entrepreneur in her own right, and owns Sunna Swim, a swimwear store. They started dating in 2019, and got married in 2021. In November 2022, Madison gave birth to a baby boy.
