Rick Harrison is an American businessman, reality-television personality and the owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, best known as the central star of the long-running History channel series Pawn Stars. Together with his father, he built a modest family pawn business into a global television phenomenon, becoming one of the most recognisable faces in reality TV. Known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of history and collectibles, his sharp negotiating and his affable on-screen personality, he has turned the shop and the show into an international brand spanning multiple television series and business ventures.
Rick Harrison Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Richard Kevin Harrison |
| Date of Birth | 22 March 1965 |
| Age (2026) | 61 years |
| Birthplace | Lexington, North Carolina, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Profession | Businessman, reality-television personality |
| Known For | Pawn Stars; the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop |
| Business | Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, Las Vegas (opened 1989) |
| Years Active | 1983 to present |
| Spouse | Angie Polushkin (married 2026) |
Rick Harrison Details
| Area | Detail |
| Business | Co-founded the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1989 |
| Breakthrough | Created and starred in Pawn Stars from 2009 |
| Franchise | Pawn Stars spun off multiple related programmes |
| Role | The shop’s owner and the show’s lead figure |
| Expertise | Known for his knowledge of history and collectibles |
| Author | Wrote a bestselling memoir about his life |
Rick Harrison Events
| Year | Event |
| 22 March 1965 | Born in Lexington, North Carolina |
| 1989 | Opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop with his father |
| 2009 | Pawn Stars premiered on the History channel |
| 2011 | Published his memoir, License to Pawn |
| 2018 | His father, Richard, died |
| 2022 | Pawn Stars Do America premiered |
| 2026 | Underwent emergency heart bypass surgery |
Rick Harrison Early Life
Rick Harrison was born Richard Kevin Harrison on 22 March 1965 in Lexington, North Carolina, the son of Richard Benjamin Harrison, a US Navy veteran, and Joanne Rhue Harrison. His family later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was a child. He has spoken about experiencing seizures as a young boy, during which he developed a deep love of reading, particularly history, which fostered the wide-ranging knowledge that would later become central to his work. He began working and doing business from a young age, showing an early entrepreneurial streak.
Rick Harrison Business Career
Rick Harrison built his career around the family pawn business in Las Vegas. In 1989, he and his father, Richard, opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, which they co-owned and grew over the following two decades into a well-established local business. Drawing on his lifelong interest in history and collectibles, Harrison developed particular expertise in evaluating rare and unusual items, from antiques and coins to memorabilia. His vision to bring the colourful world of the pawn shop to television would transform the business from a local operation into the foundation of an entertainment empire.
Rick Harrison Television Career
Rick Harrison and Pawn Stars
Rick Harrison founded and emerged as the main star of Pawn Stars, which debuted on the History Channel in 2009 and went on to become one of the network’s most popular and successful shows. The show follows the daily operations of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, featuring Harrison alongside his father Richard, known as “the Old Man,” his son Corey, known as “Big Hoss,” and Corey’s friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. Its blend of history, appraisal, negotiation and family dynamics struck a chord with audiences, running for many seasons and hundreds of episodes and turning its cast into international celebrities.
Rick Harrison’s Wider Television Work
Rick Harrison expanded the Pawn Stars concept into a broad television franchise. The success of the original series led to spin-offs and related programmes, including the game show Pawnography and the travelling series Pawn Stars Do America, which premiered in 2022 and takes the cast to cities across the United States. The franchise also inspired international and related shows, and Harrison has made numerous guest appearances, cementing his status as a fixture of American reality television and a savvy media entrepreneur.
Rick Harrison as an Author and Businessman
Rick Harrison has leveraged his fame into a range of business and creative endeavours beyond the screen. In 2011 he published a bestselling memoir, License to Pawn, which recounted his life story and the rise of the pawn shop. The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop itself became a major Las Vegas tourist attraction, drawing large numbers of visitors, and Harrison has been involved in various commercial ventures and public appearances built on the strength of the Pawn Stars brand, demonstrating his acumen as a businessman as well as a television personality.
Rick Harrison’s Health
Rick Harrison underwent emergency heart bypass surgery in September 2026. According to a family spokesperson, he had gone to the hospital for what was expected to be a simpler, routine procedure, but doctors determined that he required the more significant surgery. He was reported to be resting and recovering comfortably afterwards, with his wife and family at his side, and his family said he was expected to make a full recovery. This profile notes the matter only briefly and factually, out of respect for his privacy, and wishes him well.
Rick Harrison Personal Life
Rick Harrison has been married several times over the years and became engaged to and married Angie Polushkin in early 2026. He is the father of several children, including his son Corey, who co-stars on Pawn Stars and helps run the family business. He experienced profound personal losses in recent years, including the death of his father and business partner, Richard, in 2018, and the death of one of his sons in 2024. He has generally centred his public identity on his business, his television work and his family.
Rick Harrison Height and Physical Profile
Rick Harrison’s public identity rests on his business acumen, his knowledge and his television presence rather than on physical details, which are not a significant part of his public record. He is publicly known as the friendly and knowledgeable owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the prominent face of Pawn Stars.
Rick Harrison Net Worth and Earnings
Rick Harrison has built substantial wealth through the enormous success of the Pawn Stars franchise, his pawn-shop business, his book and his various commercial ventures, and various sources estimate his net worth in the tens of millions of dollars. A precise, reliably verified figure is not firmly established, however, so this profile does not assert a single definitive number. His income derives from his television earnings, his ownership of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, and the broader Pawn Stars brand.
| Source | Detail |
| Net worth | Estimated in the tens of millions (varies, treat with caution) |
| Main income sources | His TV earnings, pawn-shop business and brand ventures |
Rick Harrison Social Media
Rick Harrison maintains an active and popular presence on social media, where he shares content related to Pawn Stars, the shop and his life with a large following of fans around the world.
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| @rickharrisonpawnstar | Show and business content | |
| Public information | Entertainment media | How news about him is reported |
Rick Harrison Controversies
No significant personal controversy of a serious nature involving Rick Harrison surfaced in the material examined for this profile beyond the ordinary media attention that accompanies reality-television fame. Coverage of him has focused on his business, the Pawn Stars franchise, his expertise, his family and, most recently, his health, rather than on any scandal.
Lesser Known Facts About Rick Harrison
- His full name is Richard Kevin Harrison.
- He was born in Lexington, North Carolina, and raised in Las Vegas.
- He developed a love of reading and history as a boy.
- In 1989, he opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop alongside his father.
- He created the show that became Pawn Stars.
- He wrote the bestselling memoir License to Pawn.
- The pawn shop became a major Las Vegas tourist attraction.
Rick Harrison FAQ
Who is Rick Harrison?
He is an American businessman and reality-television personality, the owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the star of the History channel series Pawn Stars.
How old is Rick Harrison?
Born on 22 March 1965, he is 61 years old in 2026.
What is Rick Harrison best known for?
He is widely recognized as the main star of Pawn Stars and the owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
What happened to Rick Harrison’s health in 2026?
In September 2026 he underwent emergency heart bypass surgery after a routine procedure, and his family said he was expected to make a full recovery.
When did Pawn Stars premiere?
Pawn Stars premiered on the History channel in 2009 and became one of the network’s most popular shows.
Who else stars on Pawn Stars with Rick Harrison?
The show has featured his father Richard “the Old Man,” his son Corey “Big Hoss,” and Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
When did Rick Harrison open his pawn shop?
He and his father opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas in 1989.
Where is Rick Harrison from?
He was born in Lexington, North Carolina, and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Did Rick Harrison write a book?
Yes, he published a bestselling memoir, License to Pawn, in 2011.
What is the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop?
It is the Las Vegas pawn shop owned by Harrison and featured on Pawn Stars, which has become a major tourist attraction.
Sources
People (via Fox8), Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison now recovering after emergency bypass surgery,
https://fox8.com/news/pawn-stars-rick-harrison-now-recovering-after-emergency-bypass-surgery/
Extra, Rick Harrison of ‘Pawn Stars’ Undergoes Emergency Surgery,
https://extratv.com/2026/09/04/rick-harrison-of-pawn-stars-undergoes-emergency-surgery/
Gray News (via Fox5 Vegas), Rick Harrison of ‘Pawn Stars’ reportedly undergoes emergency bypass surgery,
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2026/09/05/rick-harrison-pawn-stars-reportedly-undergoes-emergency-bypass-surgery/