American reality star Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was mainly known for his appearance in the History Channel reality series Pawn Stars. History Channel aired the first season of Pawn Stars on 19 July 2009, which has aired 16 seasons.
Also, Richard served as a businessman. He co-owned the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on the History Channel reality series. Sadly, The Old Man left the world at age 77 on 25 June 2018. If you have watched the reality series Pawn Stars, you must be familiar with Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. Furthermore, read the article to learn more exciting facts about Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr.’s personal and professional life.
Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. Wiki, Bio, Age
The reality star and businessman Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was born on March 4, 1941, in Danville, Virginia, USA. His grandson, Corey Harrison, said they were related to Presidents William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison. Richard grew up in Lexington, North Carolina. His parents moved to 115 Peacock Avenue, just off South Main Street, when he was just one year old. Moreover, Richard held an American nationality and was of Irish descent.
Richard enrolled at Lexington High School but dropped out in his junior year. He doesn’t belong to a wealthy family. Thus, he dropped out of school to make money. He drove a school bus at 14 and earned about five or six weekly dollars. Richard hasn’t disclosed much information regarding his personal life to the tabloids. He had two nicknames, The Old Man and The Appraiser.
Relationship Status, Wife, and Children
Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was a married man. He married Joanne Rhue on July 7, 1959. His wife, Joanne Rhue, is the daughter of county judge Joseph Rhue. Joseph Rhue also served as the lead attorney for Philip Morris in North Carolina. The love birds met for the first time at the barn dance class when Richard was just 17.
The married couple has four children, one daughter Sherry and three sons, Joseph, Rick, and Chris. However, their first child, Sherry Harrison, was born with Down syndrome. So, unfortunately, Sherry left them behind at the age of 6. Nevertheless, he lived happily with his beloved wife, Joanne Rhue and his children.
Moreover, Richard has ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Among them all, he placed Rick in charge of his estate. He intentionally omitted his youngest son Christopher Keith Harrison from a beneficiary of his father’s will. However, Richard didn’t reveal the actual reason behind his decision. Except for his wife, Joanne Rhue, he didn’t seem to have any other romantic relationship affairs.
How much is Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr.’s Net Worth?
Businessman Richard Benjamin struggled financially before running a Gold & Silver Coin Shop. He only had $5000 with him when he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, alongside his wife and children. However, he changed his fortune after opening a Gold & Silver Coin Shop. Since 1994, he never had a sick day till 2010. Richard started a successful career as a businessman and television personality. Previously, he also served in the U.S. Navy.
Richard’s success in his professional career journey has helped him to accumulate a decent net worth. The reality star and businessman Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. has an estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2021. He was born into a low-income family but died living a lavish lifestyle as a wealthy person.
Cause of Death
Richard Benjamin was healthy and never took sick leave after opening a pawn shop until 2010. Unfortunately, he died on 25 June 2018 after losing a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The History Channel reality series Pawn Stars ran a commemorative episode featuring clips from the show and interviews about Richard Benjamin, A Treasure Remembered.
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Social Media
Unlike other casts of Pawn Stars, The Old Man doesn’t seem active on social media. However, the official pages of Pawn Stars often featured The Old Man. Although Richard Benjamin isn’t active on social media, he is pretty popular. He even has a hashtag on his name with 147 posts on Instagram.
Learn about the Career Details of Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr.
Talking about the career journey of Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. he started as the U.S. Navy. He got arrested for stealing a car and given a choice to serve in the military instead of going to jail. In October 1958, he entered the U.S. Navy and left it, serving for four years. Richard Benjamin rejoined the U.S. Navy to get healthcare benefits for his daughter’s medical expenses.
He continued serving in the military for almost 20 years. Then, in 1979, he left the military service and started working as a part-timer in his wife’s real estate office. Unfortunately, their business collapsed in 1981.
Watch: Pawn Stars: Old Man Wisdom | History
Afterward, Richard Benjamin started a Gold & Silver Coin Shop alongside his son Rick Harrison in a 300-square-foot shop at 1501 Las Vegas Boulevard. He received a license to buy and sell secondhand goods in 1987 and opened the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1989.
Richard Benjamin rose to stardom after History Channel aired a reality series, Pawn Star, which featured their shop. He gave a speech at the American Country Awards on 5 December 2011. Likewise, he also appeared in the Celebrity Bingo Bow Wow charity event at the Silverton Casino Lodge on 25 February 2012. In addition, he was nominated for the 2012 Time news magazine 100 list alongside his son Rick Harrison.
