Joe Exotic, an American former zoo operator, convicted felon, and reality TV personality, has a net worth of -$1 million. He gained fame as the operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma and became a household name following the 2020 Netflix documentary series, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.”
| Joe Exotic Net Worth | $-1 Million |
| Date of Birth | March 5, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Garden City, Kansas |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Media Personality, Former Zoo Operator |
In 2019, Joe Exotic was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of murder-for-hire in a plot to kill Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. He was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. Additionally, he was ordered to pay Baskin $1 million in a trademark dispute, leading to her gaining control of his zoo properties, cars, and houses, which has left him in a precarious financial situation.
Early Life
Joe Exotic, born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel on March 5, 1963, in Garden City, Kansas, is the son of Francis and Shirly Schreibvogel. He grew up in Kansas with four siblings before the family relocated to Texas. Joe graduated from Pilot Point High School and joined the Eastvale police department, becoming chief in 1982. However, a car accident in 1985 led to his departure from the police force, a story with varying details in different interviews over the years.
Exotic Animal Career
After leaving the police force, Joe moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he managed a pet store and first handled baby lions. This experience sparked his interest in exotic animals. Returning to Texas, he opened a pet store in Arlington with his brother, G.W., in 1986. Following his brother’s death in a car accident in 1997, Joe sold the pet store and purchased a 16-acre farm in Oklahoma, where he opened the Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park in 1999.
Starting with his brother’s pets and two abandoned tigers in 2000, Joe expanded the zoo, even acquiring some of Michael Jackson’s alligators. He also created a stage persona, “Joe Exotic,” and began performing traveling magic shows with tigers, evolving these shows into cub petting events by breeding the cats to ensure a steady supply of cubs.
Tiger King
Over the years, Joe Exotic and his zoo were featured in several documentaries, culminating in the 2020 Netflix series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.” The show, focusing on his rivalry with Carole Baskin, became a viral sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Joe also pursued a career in country music, with some of his songs featured in “Tiger King.” He made unsuccessful bids for president in 2016 and for Oklahoma governor in 2018.
Legal Troubles and Conviction
Joe Exotic’s legal troubles stemmed largely from his feud with Carole Baskin and his treatment of animals. In 2018, he was arrested for attempting to hire a hitman to kill Baskin. He was found guilty in 2019 on multiple charges, including the murder-for-hire plot, falsifying wildlife records, and violating the Endangered Species Act by killing five tigers and selling tigers across state lines. Sentenced to 22 years in prison, Joe has sought pardons from both Presidents Trump and Biden, without success.
Personal Life
Joe is openly gay and has had several relationships, often referring to his partners as his husbands despite only one legal marriage. His first known partner, Brian Rhyne, died in 2001 from HIV complications. He later had relationships with zoo employees John Finlay and Travis Maldonado, forming a throuple before legally marrying Maldonado in 2013. Maldonado tragically died by suicide in 2017. Joe then married Dillon Passage the same year, but they separated in 2021.
Joe has faced various health issues, most recently being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021 while in prison, leading to his transfer to the Federal Medical Center in North Carolina for treatment.
Joe Exotic Net Worth
Joe Exotic net worth is $-1 million.