Joe Exotic Net Worth

Joe Exotic is a former zoo owner and television personality that became known worldwide after his documentary on Netflix: Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. However, the former felon doesn’t have the net worth that most people think he does. 

Joe Exotic’s Net Worth

Joe Exotic was once worth millions of dollars. However, a lot has happened to Joe Exotic, and the current Joe Exotic net worth is -$1 million. 

Joe Exotic Early Life

Joe Exotic, born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel, was born on March 5, 1963, in Garden City, Kansas. Joseph was born to a farming family in a rural town. His parents, Francis Schreibvogel and Shirley Schreibvogel, came from wealthy families. However, they were firmly against pampering their children. Joseph worked on the farm with his four siblings in an unaffectionate household. 

At the age of 14, his father, a Korean War veteran, moved the family from Kansas to Wyoming on a large plot of land. From there, the family moved to Pilot Point, Texas, on a ranch. 

Growing up, Joseph loved animals. He would often bring home raccoons and ferrets to take care of them. He participated in Future Farmers of America. Joe Exotic also loved to watch nature shows. 

After graduating in 1982, Joseph was a police officer in Eastvale. It was a small town with little crime. Eventually, he got promoted to the police chief. Soon after, one of his siblings outed him to his parents, who did not know he was gay. His father asked Joseph to promise he wouldn’t even go to his funeral. Not long after that, Joe Exotic attempted suicide by driving his police cruiser into a concrete barrier on a bridge. This brought on his move to West Palm Beach, Florida, and months of intensive therapy. 

Joe Exotic’s Pet Store

In 1986, Joe Exotic, his first husband, Brian Rhyne, and his brother Garold bought a pet store. They sold mainly birds and reptiles. For the most part, they were broke, which led to one money-making scheme after another. The most profitable thing was dumpster diving and making cat houses out of whatever they could find. This helped the trio earn money to expand the store.

The Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park

Then, Garold, the one sibling Joe Exotic had that he was connected with, was hit by a drunk driver. He passed away in 1997 due to an accident. Joseph sold the store and used the money won from his brother’s accident to fund the opening of The Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park. It began with sidewalks and nine cages. The park’s first inhabitants were Garold’s pets: a deer and a buffalo. 

The sixteen-acre plot of land in Oklahoma City quickly became a well-known animal sanctuary. People began to drop off exotic animals they didn’t want. He acquired a bear and a mountain lion. Then, a game warden called about abandoned tigers. 

Traveling Animal And Magic Show

In the early 2000s, Joe Exotic started a traveling show that allowed children the chance to pet tiger cubs. He taught them about conservation. He often used stage names when performing. Some of his most popular stage names were Cody Ryan, Joe Exotic, and Aarron Alex. The Tiger King performed in malls and fairs across states such as Wisconsin, Texas, and Oklahoma. His show continued to grow in popularity, as did his park, which contributed significantly to the Joe Exotic net worth. 

Joe Exotic’s Troubles

The Tiger King started running into lousy press and trouble soon after the park’s opening. He was transporting a group of emus in 1999 from a pen in Red Oak. However, some of the emus escaped while he was loading them up. They headed for the highway, and Joe Exotic shot them. Headlines blasted the Tiger King for being careless and reckless, but a jury wouldn’t indict him for animal cruelty. 

As the park continued to grow, so did the problems. Animal activists despised the small cages. When a crippled lion was born, it was thought that it was due to inbreeding. Carol Baskin published an article stating that “no legitimate animal sanctuary would allow this to happen.” 

Other controversies and troubles for the Tiger King included: 

• The Department Of Agriculture suspended his license for two weeks and slammed him with a $25,000 fine for failing to remove animal feces and several other violations
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals published a video of alleged animal mistreatment
• PETA footage showed animal abuse, employees discussed irregular feeding schedules and more
• Investigations by the local and federal authorities
• Close quarters was a frequent complaint as more than a thousand animals called the small 16 acres home
• Carole Baskin emailed malls to tell them about his unethical behavior, used her followers to do the same, sued him in 2011 for using her logo and name (Big Cat Sanctuary) to advertise his traveling shows and he lost when the court awarded her $1 million, and the two were in a famous feud
• In 2015, the alligator habitat and Joe’s studio were lost in a fire, and all of the alligators except for one died as a result
• Many claimed that Joe offered them thousands to kill Carole Baskin
• He made room for more tigers by killing five aging tigers in 2017

Other Business Ventures That Contributed To His Net Worth

The park did not contribute much, if any, to the Joe Exotic net worth initially. However, as time passed, it grew to bring in over $500,000 per year. Although it contributed to his net worth, that was not all there was to Joe Exotic’s net worth. Other ventures also helped increase the Joe Exotic net worth, including: 

• The traveling magic show
• The gift shop at the zoo, where Joe sold condoms, mugs, Tiger King merchandise, and everything else
• A bar named Safari Bar
• A pizza place named Zooters

Politics

Joe also tried his hand at politics. He ran for president of the United States in 2016 and governor of Oklahoma in 2018. 

Joe Exotic Personal Life

In 2001, Joe Exotic saw the death of his first husband. Rhyne acquired a deadly infection that resulted in his death. His funeral was held at the park. 

A year later, the Tiger King had found love again in 24-year-old J.C. Hartpence. This relationship was falling apart within a couple of years. At one point, Hartpence found a picture of the largest tiger in the park, Goliath, baring his teeth over a large piece of meat that was labeled JC’s remains. Joe left a note that told him if he didn’t get it together (he was addicted to various substances), the picture would be his reality. Within a few days, Joe woke up to JC cocking a gun in his face. He was arrested and never seen again at the park. 

He hired help for the exotic animal park, including a 19-year-old named John Finley, who would be his next boyfriend. 

In 2013, Tiger King took in Travis Maldonado to help him recover from addiction through working with animals at the exotic animal park. Within another year, he was in a three-way relationship with Finley and Maldonado. However, in 2017, Travis Maldonado passed away.

In 2019, Joe Exotic was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two murder-for-hire charges for trying to kill Carol Baskin. He received a sentence of 22 years in federal prison. 

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