💰 Net worth: Under Review
Every episode, people offer distinctive historical pieces that may or may not be real, determine what value there might be for said items and negotiate whether or not a deal takes place. Add some antics and hijinks and the History Channel has its highest rated show by far. "Pawn Stars" is also the most profitable show on the History Channel, bringing in about $3 million per episode for the History Channel. As a result, the four main show stars of the show have seen a nice boost in the bank, though not all of it comes from the show…
Rick Harrison
Rick is the one who pushed for the pawnshop to become an entertainment empire. The shop received its first taste of national fame after being featured on the Comedy Central show "Insomniac with Dave Attell". Dave Attell visited the shop while he was staying in Las Vegas and discovered that it was being run by a very unique cast of characters. After their episode of Insomniac aired, Richard's son Rick began pounding the pavement with production studios to get a full time series pitched and sold. Rick Harrison has an estimated net worth of $8 million.
Harrison obtained much of this net worth through the pawnshop, but he has several other ventures that have added to his wealth. In June 2013, Harrison opened an "Express Pawn" counter that allows people to shop while the main shop films episodes. It also offers more space for daily visitors, which can top 5,000 on certain days.
Harrison also told Forbes he has an investment allocation of "10% gold and silver (which he calls an insurance policy) 80% in blue chip companies, leaving 10% to have 'a little crazy fun with."' Rick owned a Quizno's and admits he will always have an serial entrepreneur sense.
Richard "Old Man" Harrison
Richard "Old Man" Harrison was born in Lexington, North Carolina on March 4, 1941. He is most famous for being one of the featured stars of the smash hit History channel reality series "Pawn Stars". Old Man Harrison opened the "Gold and Silver Pawn Shop" in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his son, in 1989. The shop has been open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week ever since. The patriarch of the Harrison family makes $15,000 per episode and has an estimated net worth of $8 million.
The "Old Man" is 72 years old and insists he no plans to retire. As his son told a Philadelphia newspaper, the Old Man is the type of person who would die six months after retiring.
Pawn Stars / Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison
Corey Harrison is Rick's son who has an estimated net worth of $2.5 million. Several episodes play off the father/son tension between Corey and Rick. Corey even threatened to leave the shop if he didn't receive ownership equity in the company. Eventually, Rick relented and offered Corey 5% ownership of the pawnshop.
Harrison also generates revenue away from the shop, earning more than $1,000 for personal appearances in clubs around Las Vegas. Corey also works with his father on various entrepreneurial ventures, including the "Express Pawn" and merchandising opportunities.
Austin "Chumlee" Russell
Chumlee makes $25,000 per episode and has an estimated net worth of $5 million. Chumlee is the show's comic relief. He earned the nickname "Chumlee" after his father compared him one day to the walrus "Chumley" on the cartoon Tennessee Tuxedo. The name stuck. One of his childhood best friends was Corey Harrison, who helped Chumlee get a job at the Las Vegas based Gold and Silver Pawn Shop he was 21 years old.
Chumlee isn't able to work behind the counter anymore. The main cast doesn't work the showroom because patrons will snap photos, violating privacy laws. Chumlee does have a personal assistant to manage outside business opportunities and told a Las Vegas newspaper he was happy to buy his girlfriend breast enhancement surgery for her birthday.
