For most skateboarders, the activity they love is mostly a hobby. They may perfect their craft, come up with some outrageous tricks and go viral on YouTube, but generally speaking, skateboarding isn’t exactly the ultimate way to get rich and famous.
Unless you’re Rob Dyrdek. He parlayed his early love of competitive skateboarding into a lucrative career that includes acting, producing, TV work and being an entrepreneur. Thanks to his own hard work, Rob Dyrdek’s net worth is estimated to be $100 million. While he isn’t a member of the billionaire boys club yet, his journey to reach that amount has been a wild ride.
How It All Began
Not many multimillionaires got their start as a world-class skateboarder, but that was exactly where Dyrdek opened his financial journey. He also got part of his business background by working for Orion Trucks when the then 18-year old moved to California.
After that his versatility began to shine through. He signed a sponsorship deal with DC shoes, then got into shoe design. Dyrdek followed that up by forming a number of skate shops and hip-hop labels. He then launched an animated comedy series called Wild Grinders, which was basically a skateboarding series.
Some of these ventures failed, but Dyrdek has proven to be a quick study after that. In 2016, he started Dyrdek Machine, which invests in startup businesses, and the company also launches brands. Lots of brands, as in 6 initially, and the number is now up to 18.
Dyrdek is a versatile investor, putting his money in UFC, Beatbox Beverages, Stance and Beach Whiskey. He’s also co-founded a couple of whiskey brands, so he’s a guy with his finger in a lot of financial pies.
Now let’s turn to his entertainment side. He earned $35,000 per episode as executive producer and writer of Rob and Big Dyrdek, and when he upped his game on Rob Dyrdek Fantasy Factory, his take-home per episode jumped to $100,000.
But Dyrdek wasn’t done just yet. Many of his fans know him from the MTV show, Ridiculousness, where the former skateboarder cashed in to the tune of $125,000 per episode.
As you might guess, Rob lives a lavish lifestyle, but with a special flair that can only be described as “quirky.” He married exotic model and entrepreneur Bryiana Noelle Flores, and the couple has two children, Koday Dash Dyrdek and Nala Ryan Dyrdek. The family is based in LA, but travel is high on the agenda, with Bora Bora and Cabo San Lucas listed as their favorite destinations.
He no longer does the demanding workouts necessary to compete as a world-class skateboarder, but he’s an early riser and then some, waking up at 4 or 5 AM to brain train using a mobile app. He loves his sauna and meditates for about 20 minutes per day. His meditation dome alone cost around $15,000, and it features a guided sounds and light system.
Dyrdek’s diet is just as disciplined and eccentric. He swears by collagen, protein greens, liquid vitamins and Elysium omega, but given the wealth the former skateboarder has accumulated, he can certainly afford to dine on anything he wants.
