The owner of Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill, Richard Rawlings is an accomplished businessman who has also established himself in the entertainment industry as a prominent personality, known for his appearance in the reality TV series, Fast N’ Loud. He has gained the attention of a wide audience through the remarkable exhibition of his business acumen on the show, wherein he acquires and overhauls run-down cars alongside his crew at Gas Monkey Garage.
Rawlings has also been featured on Discovery Channel’s Garage Rehab where he served as the host of the automotive show. He has equally appeared in a promotion for Dodge vehicles. The reality TV star is also the founder of Gas Monkey Garage and Gas Monkey Live Music Venues situated in Dallas, Texas. In 2015, the renowned businessman penned down his autobiography entitled Fast N’Loud: Blood, Sweat, and Beers.
Richard Rawlings’ Entrepreneurial Attitude Saw Him Found Gas Monkey Garage in 2002
Richard has always had a keen interest in automobiles; right from his childhood, he occasionally attended automotive shows with his father. At the age of 14, the entrepreneur bought his first car and got into car construction.
Rawlings completed his elementary education at Eastern Hills High School and upon his graduation, he began fending for himself and would later work as a fireman, law enforcement personnel, and emergency medical technician.
Richard eventually ventured into entrepreneurship in 1999 when he launched his publishing and advertising firm called Lincoln Press. Three years later, he kick-started his automobile business known as Gas Monkey Garage with his sister Daphne Rawlings.
The Entrepreneur Went Into Reality TV Show In 2012
In 2004, Richard Rawlings sold his publishing and advertising company in order to focus solely on his newly invented business, Gas Monkey Garage. Following their level of professionalism and competence, the company has been the main focus of the Discovery Channel’s reality series, Fast n’ Loud, which has featured Richard Rawlings alongside his Gas Monkey Garage Crew since 2012. On the reality show, they practically work on degraded cars, restoring them for profit.
With the experience he gained from the Fast n’ Loud series, the Texan businessman increased his on-screen portfolio in 2017 by co-hosting the Discovery Channel show titled Garage Rehab alongside Chris Stephens and Russell Holmes.
In the show, the trio overhauls struggling automotive shops. Rawlings also serves as its executive producer with several episodes under his belt. The automobile expert has also served as the executive producer of shows like Misfit Garage and the fantasy comedy-drama film titled Welcome to Happiness.
He Has Added Restaurant and Live Music Bar to His Business Portfolio
Rawlings became the owner of Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill located in Northwest Dallas in September 2013. He moved on to establish his second outlet in March 2014 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The entrepreneur even indicated an interest to launch a third location for the Bar N’ Grill outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, but sadly, that was never realized. Barely six months after he launched his second outlet, Richard Rawlings opened a live music venue called Gas Monkey Live in October 2014.
A couple of years later (in 2016), the Texan businessman opened his first restaurant called Richard Rawlings’ Garage in Harker Heights, Texas. Unfortunately, the business wasn’t as successful as his automobile venture and collapsed in March 2019. This failure didn’t douse Richard’s zeal for business as he licensed the Gas Monkey brand to a line of energy drinks before the end of 2019.
In all, Richard Rawlings is a successful businessman whose accomplishments in several ventures have led to the acquisition of enormous wealth. Through his automotive company, Richard has created many automobiles that have attracted customers across the globe and in the process, has gathered enormous fortune.
The shrewd entrepreneur has earned the audacity to be extravagant. It is known that he has an impressive car collection and owns a house worth about $1.7 million. Given his entrepreneurial exploits, it is no surprise that his wealth has been variously estimated at around $20 million. Rawlings doesn’t have plans to slow down, so his wealth is bound to keep growing.
Richard Rawlings Was Once Married to Karen K. Grames
It wouldn’t be wrong to expect that Richard Rawlings is a family man; he is. And has had a fair share of failed relationships. The successful entrepreneur has exchanged marital vows with two women.
He first tied the nuptial knot with Karen K. Grames in 1993. Though the details of their marriage are not known, it is common knowledge that the couple had the marriage annulled the following year.
There was no record of any child from their brief union.
His Second Marriage Was to Suzanne Marie Mergele
Later in 1999, precisely on the 7th of August, Richard Rawlings exchanged vows for the second time with Suzanne Marie Mergele in a wedding ceremony held in Las Vegas.
The couple’s union endured for a decade before they decided to call it quits by signing the divorce papers on the 14th of August 2009. However, they worked things out and exchanged vows again in January 2015.
But then, March 2019 saw Rawlings publicized that they are parting ways yet again. Although rumors had it that the businessman cum TV personality has a daughter, Rawlings and his ex-wife haven’t disclosed anything about having any kid and they haven’t been seen in public with any.
The Businessman Seems to be Heading for a Third Marriage
In August 2019, Rawlings popped the big question to his girlfriend, Katerina Deason, who said yes to the marriage proposal. Kat was the fifth wife of Texan billionaire, Darwin Deason, who is 27 years her senior.
The duo got married in 2008 and according to rumors; they are yet to finalize their divorce. However, that did not seem to stop Kat from putting on Richard’s engagement ring.
The duo is still going strong and Richard takes every chance he gets to appreciate the woman expected to be his life partner in the near future on his social media pages.
