The internet is exploding with discussion (and memes, of course) surrounding Netflix’s recent release: Tiger King, a short series following several individuals who own “big cats” in the United States. It especially takes a close look at Joe Exotic, also known as the Tiger King. If you’ve watched the show, it is like a trainwreck you can’t take your away from. And, if you’re like me, you’re wondering “where are these people getting this money?” So, here’s a look at the Tiger King net worth.
How Much is a Tiger?
First, let’s talk about the true cost of a tiger. Surprisingly, tigers can be purchased relatively cheaply. Exotic cats can be bought for between $900 and $2,500. That’s cheaper than some purebred dogs!
There are some figures thrown around throughout the documentary about how much it costs to feed these huge cats. Joe Exotic says he is able to feed each tiger for about $3,000 per year, while Doc Antle states feeding the tigers is closer to $10,000 per year.
Considering Joe has more than 200 tigers, plus a few other kinds of animals, you can only imagine what his food bill could be. Joe, however, gets a break by feeding his animals expired Walmart meat. That doesn’t mean taking care of the big cats isn’t still costly.
‘Big Cat’ People Are Typically Wealthy
It is true that Netflix’s Tiger King is something that truly needs to be seen to be believed, so here’s a quick clip.
You seriously can’t make this up!
Despite their eccentric lifestyles and personalities, these people are crazy rich. Here’s a look at Carole Baskin and Doc Antle’s net worth…
There is some speculation surrounding Carole Baskin and the disappearance of her husband. While nothing has implicated Baskin may be involved, she has benefited from the billions he left behind. She has since used his fortune to continue her work with Big Cat Rescue (where she makes more than she lets on).
Visitors to the sanctuary are charged $50 per person just to observe and look at the animals. In addition to this, she is earning money from sales of souvenirs from the conservation center. Between that and her former husband’s cash, Baskin is estimated to be worth about $10 million.
After the documentary, Baskin has continued her work with the Big Cat Rescue in Florida as the self-described “Mother Theresa” of big cats.
Doc Antle
Doc Antle was somewhat of a mentor to Joe and inspired him to break off on his own to open the zoo. He’s known for having tigers and multiple wives. Where his finances are concerned, he’s definitely not hurting either.
As depicted in the docuseries, Doc has appeared on The Tonight Show, among other talk shows, with his big cats. He has also maintained a successful business surrounding tourists and visitors visiting his safari park in Myrtle Beach. The attraction is open 26 weeks per year and each visitor pays about $550 per person, grossing Doc more than $1.3 million per year.
Keep in mind, he is still having to feed 70 tigers throughout the year though, so a lot of that goes back into the business. His net worth is estimated to sit around $1 million.
Doc is continuing his work at his Myrtle Beach Safari, despite PETA’s best efforts. Just last December, he was served with warrants to investigate lion cubs in his possession.
Tiger King Net Worth
When it comes to the “Tiger King” himself, Mr. Joe Exotic, he never had enough guidance in his life to accrue any kind of riches. The Tiger King net worth is more than likely sitting in the negative these days. However, some sources estimate his net worth could reach up to $15 million.
In addition to being put in jail this January, Joe was stripped of just about every possession he had. Not to mention, in Tiger King, he states that he has nothing in his name. This came to light when Carole Baskin was suing him for copyright infringement in the series. It is also revealed during the documentary that Joe was also embezzling money from the G.W. Zoo to fund his failed political campaigns (this guy ran for Senate AND president).
Unlike Baskin and Doc, however, Joe was making far less from the visitors to his zoo. He charged $10 for children and $15 per adult to enter. Private playtime with baby tigers was only priced at $50 for one hour and “behind the scenes” tours were given for $175. Joe only paid his staff $150 per week and fed the tigers expired meats from the store, so by keeping his costs low, it was easy for him to make a profit. Additionally, Joe made money on the side selling tiger cubs. According to the docuseries, each cub would go for about $2,000.
Earnings From His Singing Career
If you’ve watched the docuseries, you also know Joe has produced some of his own music and music videos, which are available on YouTube. Here’s one…
Even though he has more than 73,500,000 subscribers on YouTube, he isn’t making much cash with his music career, if anything at all. It definitely hasn’t contributed to his earnings. However, with Joe in jail now, it will be interesting to see how the series impacts his overall net worth.
Tiger King is the number one show streaming on Netflix right now. Have you seen it? What are your reactions?
Amanda Blankenship is the Director of Social Media for District Media. In addition to her duties handling everything social media, she frequently writes for a handful of blogs and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.
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