According to The Cinemaholic, the best estimates peg Exotic's net worth at somewhere around $10 million. Big cat wrangling must be good work, if you can get it.
Despite his ostensibly humble farm boy roots, Exotic had the benefit of a sizable inheritance that allowed him to get G.W. Zoo off the ground. He received $250,000 from a rich grandfather who passed away, and another $140,000 from a lawsuit against the trucking company that killed his brother in a highway accident.
That's a nice bit of seed capital, but it's a far cry from the $10 million he had reportedly amassed by the time he went to jail for the crimes documented on Tiger King. Where did the rest come from? Shockingly, G.W. Zoo was actually a pretty healthy business. According to Texas Monthly, G.W. Zoo's annual revenue grew from $117,022 in 2001 to $539,320 in 2006. Revenue likely increased on a similar scale over the ensuing years.
Even though Exotic is now doing time for the attempted murder-for-hire of his archnemesis, animal rights activist Carole Baskin, he hasn't given up trying to increase his fortune. According to the New York Post, Exotic has filed a jailhouse lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking $94 million in damages. Among the claims in Exotic's filings is a demand for $78.8 million from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service for the loss of his prized tigers. He's also seeking a presidential pardon for his crimes; if granted one, Exotic could be reunited with most of his $10 million fortune upon release.
