• Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was born in Danville, Virginia in 1941.
• He spent his childhood in Lexington, North Carolina.
• He served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years.
• Along with his son Rick and grandchild Corey, he opened the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
• His net worth is estimated to be over $8 million.
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Who is Richard Benjamin Harrison from “Pawn Stars”?
Born Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. on the 4th March 1941 in Danville, Virginia USA, he is a businessman, but perhaps best known to the world as a reality TV star, for his appearance in the reality show “Pawn Stars”, aired on the History Channel.
Early Life and Education
Richard is the son of Richard Benjamin Harrison and his wife Ruth Davis Harrison. He spent his childhood in Lexington, North Carolina after he and his family moved there when he was a year old. He went to Lexington High School, however, Richard had to quit high school in his junior year, because of the poor financial position of his family. So Richard found a job as a school bus driver, ironically driving his peers to and from school, earning just five or six dollars per week.
Military Career
Richard got in a trouble with the law when he was arrested for stealing a car; once in front of the judge, Richard was offered military enlistment or prison time. He eventually went for the military, but after two years left to spend time with his wife and children, but after fourteen months returned to the army, as one of his children, daughter Sherry, was in demand of health care benefits, as she was born with Downs syndrome, actually passing away at six years of age. Ultimately, Richard served for twenty years in the USA Navy, rising to Petty officer, first class, and spending time on four ships, also including fleet tug ATF 100 USS Chowanoc, on which he was stationed from 1972 to 1976.
Career after Military
Once discharged in the late ‘70s, Richard joined his wife in her career in real estate; however, their business began to decline, and they had to close their office in 1981. Richard then used his $5,000 savings to start another venture, moving the Harrison family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and opening the Gold & Silver Coin Shop in a 300 square foot premises at 1501 Las Vegas Boulevard. After five years of successful work, Richard moved the shop to a larger building at 413 Fremont Street, and a year later, Richard received a license for buying and selling second-hand goods.
In 1988 Richard closed his original store as the business lease expired, but in 1989 he teamed up with his son Rick to start another shop, named World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop at 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South, located less than two miles from the Las Vegas Strip. They focused on selling jewelry but as their business improved, they began to include other items, and since then have become well-known entrepreneurs. As their business grew, they attracted attention from producers of the History Channel, and in 2009 Richard, Rick and grandchild Corey became cast members of the reality show “Pawn Stars”.
“Pawn Stars”
The show premiered on the 26th July 2009, and also featured Corey’s childhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell, and became the highest-rated show on the network, and second only to “Jersey Shore”. The show focused on the store’s business, especially memorable items that Rick and others bought, include a 1941 Gibson SJ-200 Guitar, 1922 Proof Peace High Relief Dollar, 1915 Panama Pacific Octagonal Gold Coin, JFK Cigar Box, 17th Century Ship’s Bell, and 1715 Spanish Fleet Gold Coin among many other items. The show is now in its 15th season, and though Richard doesn’t appear frequently on the show, everyday he still opens the store and is the last to leave it. He has featured in almost 300 episodes so far, which has certainly made him popular with the viewing public.
In recent years, Richard in general hasn’t been involved that much in the business, leaving that to younger generations, but has kept his passion for cars, using his wealth and experience to attain his collection. Some of the vehicles he owns include a 1966 Imperial Crown, 1957 Chevy sedan, and the mid- 1960s B&Z Electra-King, an electric car.
Honors and Awards
Thanks to his success, Richard has received a number of awards and recognitions, including the key to the city of Las Vegas, given to him, Rick, Corey and Chumlee by Mayor Oscar Goodman in 2010. On the 29th May 2012, Richard received the key to the city of Lexington from Mayor Clark Newell, and the 29th May was named Richard Harrison’s Day.
Legal Problems and Other Issues
It hasn’t been all good for Richard and his group; back in 2012, he and Rick were accused of failing to provide reasonable and necessary security at their store by Daniel Callahan, who filed a lawsuit against the two and wanted $20,000 for being dragged out of the pawn shop and tossed onto the sidewalk, having got into a fierce argument with Rick over a rifle that he wanted to sell, but they couldn’t reach an agreement. In front of a judge, Corey spoke in defense of both his father and grandfather, stating that it was in their best interest to get Callahan out of the store. Furthermore, Old Man Harrison had problems with Wayne F. Jefferies, a Las Vegas promoter who served as the manager and helped them launch the show; however, Wayne was fired and left without his share of fees, which led to the spin-off series “Cajun Pawn Stars”.
New episodes tonight RT this and I will send you a personalized pawn stars post card.
— Richard harrison (@ThePawnFather) March 28, 2011
Have You Wondered How Rich Old Man Harrison Is?
Fighting for existence from an early age, Richard had to find ways to survive; from driving a school bus when only 14 to serving in the military for 20 years, then becoming a real estate agent, and eventually succeeded with his pawn shops. So, let’s just see how profitable his work is. According to authoritative sources, in early 2018, Richard’s wealth is estimated at over $8 million.
Life Behind the Scene
Richard met his wife Joanne Rhue at a barn dance, when he was only 17 years old; she is a daughter of the county judge, Joseph Rhue. The two married in 1960 and had four children, including daughter Sherry and Rick. The other two are sons Joseph and Chris.
Social Media Presence
Although an old man, as his nickname indicates, but which he got when only 38, Richard has been a viable member to social media networks, including Twitter, on which his official account has more than 17,000 followers, on which he continues to shared his professional and personal life with his most loyal fans. So, if you are not already a fan of the Old Man Harrison, then, this is a great chance to start following one of the most successful entrepreneurs.
