The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is a popular store in Las Vegas because it is featured in the History Channel reality series Pawn Stars. The show’s success made the shop a tourist destination. The one who owns it is entrepreneur Rick Harrison. As of 2022, Rick Harrison has an estimated net worth of $9 million.
Early Life
Richard Kevin Harrison was born in Lexington, California, on March 22, 1965. His mother is Joanne Rhue, and his father is Richard Benjamin, aka “The Old Man”. Rick is one of their four children.
When he was just two years old, their family moved to San Diego, California. At eight, he experienced epileptic seizures and spent a lot of time in bed, which sparked a lifelong passion for reading. Later in his life, Rick became virtually deaf.
In 1981, his family settled in Las Vegas, Nevada. Richard went to Taft Middle School, but he decided to drop out in tenth grade to become a businessman.
Career Beginnings
At first, the young man sold fake designer bags. When his father opened a secondhand store called the Gold & Silver Coin Shop, Rick worked there during the day. At night, he repossessed cars, not exactly a glamorous business!
In 1989, his father obtained the license to operate a pawn shop. So, they converted their initial business into one. Richard and his dad launched the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.
By 2006, the store had established a reputation for carrying rare sports memorabilia. They also accepted a lot of jewelry, particularly gold. Many of their customers were gamblers on the Las Vegas Strip. Some were pawning items for gas money to get home.
Pawn Stars
The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop got featured in the Comedy Central show Insomniac with Dave Attell. After this, Rick spent four years pitching the idea of showcasing daily activities of a pawn shop via a reality series.
The History Channel picked up the idea, and Pawn Stars started airing in 2009. Aside from him and his dad, the show featured their main employees: Corey Harrison and Chumlee.
In 2011, Pawn Stars became the highest-rated show on the History channel. With this success, he established a restaurant called “Rick’s Rollin Smoke BBQ and Tavern”. The restaurant is still in business today!
Net Worth and Earnings
Rick Harrison is estimated to earn $15,000 per episode on Pawn Stars. Apart from his television salary, he earns a lot as the sole owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. Sadly, Rick is being sued by his mother over family assets and ownership of the Las Vegas based pawn shop.
He was only a co-owner of the store with his father until “The Old Man” passed away in 2018. Plus, he runs a restaurant. This gives Rick a fortune worth $9 million, meaning he is richer than Chumlee and the other main cast members.
Personal Life
At 17, Rick Harrison got a lady named Kim pregnant. She had a miscarriage, but they still got married. The couple had two sons, Corey and Adam, but they eventually divorced. Rick then married a woman named Tracy, but they also split up.
In 2013, the celebrity pawnbroker had his third marriage with Deanna Burditt. However, he filed for divorce in 2020. Rick is currently dating interior designer Tauna Harris, and he lives in an Oregon cabin.
