• Born in 1941 in Aspen, Colorado, USA, George Gradow is a real estate developer and the husband of Barbi Benton, a famous American retired model.
• He attended high school in Aspen, then pleaded guilty to tax fraud in 2006 and was sentenced to 15 months in jail or pay $130,000 to the IRS.
• George and Barbi married in 1979 and had two children, Alexander and Ariana.
• George is an avid traveler and philanthropist who enjoys watching movies and is a lover of animals.
• He is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million and Barbi is estimated to have a net worth of over $20 million.
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Who is George Gradow?
George was born in Aspen, Colorado USA, in 1941 – his exact date of birth remains undisclosed, but his zodiac sign is believed to be Sagittarius, and he holds American nationality. He’s a real estate developer, while he’s probably only known to the wider public for being the husband of Barbi Benton, a famous American retired model, singer-songwriter and actress.
Early life and education
George was raised in Aspen by his mother and father, about whom not a lot is known because he respects their privacy; it’s believed that they were both involved in the real estate business, thus George’s interest in it. Because he hasn’t spoken of having any siblings, most of his fans believe him to be an only child.
George played a couple of sports while growing up, including soccer and football, while he also enjoyed singing and dancing. He became interested in acting upon enrolling at a local high school in 1955, and was a member of its drama club, appearing in a couple of plays performed at the school.
George matriculated in 1959, and because he hasn’t shared any details concerning his further education, it’s believed that he didn’t attend college.
George’s career
George has been working as a real estate developer for more than five decades now, and owns properties in various US states.
On 27 April 2006, he pleaded guilty to tax fraud and was sentenced to spend 15 months behind bars, or pay close to $130,000 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which he did, so didn’t spend any time in jail.
Love life and marriage with Barbi Benton
George met Barbi in 1976; she was a Playboy model at that time, and George had asked a mutual friend to introduce them. They went on their first date two months later, and eventually exchanged vows on 14 October 1979, in a large ceremony attended by many of their friends and family members.
They initially didn’t want to have children, as they were both focused on their careers, but this changed after around five years. Barbi gave birth to their son Alexander on 23 August 1986, and their daughter Ariana followed on 13 July 1988; the family of four lived in both Aspen and Los Angeles, California.
George hasn’t spoken of any other women whom he has perhaps been with, so as of May 2022, he’s married to Barbi Benton, and they have two children together.
Hobbies and other interests
George was once deeply passionate about travelling, and his career as a real estate developer has taken him to nearly all of the US states, as well as to many European countries. He has also been to several South American, African and Asian countries, for both work and pleasure, however, George in his old age prefers to stay at his home in Aspen over travelling.
He’s a philanthropist, and has donated money to several hospitals which are looking to cure cancer, while he’s also donated to a couple of charity organizations aiming to improve the quality of life for underprivileged children.
George is a lover of animals, and has had several pet dogs and cats.
He enjoys watching movies in his spare time – his favorite actor is the late Marlon Brando, while a couple of his favorite films include the trilogy “The Godfather”, “Apocalypse Now”, and “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
Age, height and net worth
George is either 80 or 81 years old. He has short brown hair and brown eyes, his height is 5ft 10ins (1.8m) and he weighs around 155lbs (70kgs).
As of May 2022, his net worth stands at more than $50 million, while his wife Barbi’s net worth has been estimated at over $20 million.
Who is his wife Barbi?
Barbara Lynn Klein was born in New York City, USA, on 28 January 1950 – her zodiac sign is Aquarius, and she holds American nationality. She’s probably still known best for her pictures which were featured in the magazine “Playboy”, although she’s also known for her portrayal of the lead character Susan Jeremy in the 1981 horror thriller movie “X-Ray”. It was written and directed by Boaz Davidson, also starred Charles Lucia and Jon Van Ness, and follows a woman who’s locked on the eighth floor of a hospital, while a mysterious man dressed as a doctor is preventing her from leaving.
Barbi was raised in Sacramento, California by her Jewish parents; her mother was an investment counselor, while her father was a gynecologist. She studied at Rio Americano High School and was interested in numerous activities during her four years there; Barbi played the piano, did some tearoom modelling, and took scuba diving lessons. She matriculated in 1968, and enrolled at University of California, Los Angeles wanting to become a veterinarian, however, she quit because she wasn’t able to stand the sight of blood.
She was 16 when she launched her modelling career, and 18 when she began working for Playboy, appearing in its show “Playboy After Dark”.
Although she was only supposed to be an extra, the founder of Playboy, Hugh Hefner, fell in love with Barbi, and made her a co-host of the show; Barbi and Hugh were in a relationship for a couple of years, and it was he who convinced her to change her name to Barbi Benton, while she convinced him to purchase the Playboy Mansion in 1974.
Barbi’s pictures could’ve been seen featured on the cover page of the magazine “Playboy” four times: in July 1969, March 1970, May 1972, and December 1985. She and Hugh were together from 1969 to 1976.
She made her debut TV series appearance in the 1968 episode “Guest Starring Dick Gregory” of the musical comedy “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”, while her debut film appearance was in the 1970 comedy “Mir Hat es Immer Spaß Gemacht”. One of her most notable performances has been her portrayal of Kiki Atwood in the romantic comedy series “The Love Boat”, created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes, and which starred Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell and Ted Lange. The series aired from 1977 to 1987, and follows the lives of the crew and passengers of a cruise ship; it won four of the 30 awards for which it was nominated, including five Primetime Emmy nominations. Barbi hasn’t had any roles since then.
She has released eight albums, while her 1975 single “Brass Buckles” reached the top five on the Billboard Country Singles Chart; she hasn’t released any new albums since 1979.
