Richard Rawlings is the successful face of Discovery Channel TV show Fast N’ Loud, but how did he make his money?
Richard Rawlings started off in mechanics and motor engineering, before ultimately turning his own garage into the foundation for a massive financial ecosystem. He is the face of a reality show, and owns food, music venues, and consumable brands.
Read on to learn more about Richard Rawlings and his impressive fortune.
Man Of Many Careers
When Richard Rawlings spent his childhood visiting car shows with his father, he never knew it would become his lifeblood. He worked hard with his dad, fixing up old cars as soon as he was old enough to learn.
As a young adult, Rawlings bounced from job to job. He initially gravitated toward law enforcement, but that was a short-lived career. He became both a firefighter and an EMT, but these were also not expansive careers.
In his heart, Rawlings wanted to make his own way and own his own business. Shortly after leaving high school, he started a small company. The basis of this company was the creation and distribution of printed ads and logos on paper towels, used in car washes.
This endeavour didn’t last long, but he would revisit the concept after dabbling in public services. He would come to own a printing and advertising company, called Lincoln Press. This was a very small business, operating from a premise in Dallas, Texas.
Rawlings founded the business in 1999, and it quickly became successful. It was enough to cement Rawlings as a credible contender in the entrepreneurship stakes. However, he felt his teenage years calling, and once again returned to vehicles.
Richard Rawlings sold his Lincoln Press business, generating the income to found a new company. He wanted to be on the big screen, and was dedicated. He wanted to run a garage and have a reality show based around it. It would ultimately be the making of him.
Gas Monkey
In 2004, five years after Rawlings founded Lincoln Press, he opened up Gas Monkey. He worked with a Fort Worth mechanic to build the brand, starting out in a tiny garage. Rawlings allegedly worked extremely hard, doing everything he could to get the brand out there.
When 2012 came around, Rawlings approached the Discovery Channel with a pitch for a television show. It was successful, and Fast N’ Loud would debut shortly after. This show, with Rawlings as the face, showed life in the Gas Monkey workshop.
You can see a preview of this show below, on YouTube. In this video, you’ll see some of the escapades of the Gas Monkey team, as they track down ‘barn finds’ and restore them to value.
Ultimately, Rawlings would grow Gas Monkey to be a multi-million dollar, multi-faceted business. He wasn’t satisfied with simple pleasures, and wanted to expand his organization. He opened Gas Monkey Bar n’ Grill venues, and Gas Monkey Live, a music venue.
His most recent endeavour was a line of energy drinks, branded with the same name. This product launched in 2019. In the years leading up to that point, Rawlings published and released an autobiography, detailing the events of his life.
It couldn’t be doubted that Rawlings had worked hard to get where he was. As of 2020, he had a reported net worth of fifteen million dollars. He boasted a wide collection of classic vehicles – many of which he’d restored himself – and was living large.
In fact, the only turbulent area of Rawlings’ life is where his relationships are concerned. Since 1993, Rawlings has been married four times, to three women. He has been quite vocal about his relationships, even going so far as to announce events on Twitter.