In his announcement, Exotic wrote, “Meet Jorge Marquez he is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico.” He also shared his plans for the future, stating, “Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we [will] be leaving America when we both get out.” Exotic ended his post by expressing his regret at not meeting Marquez sooner, saying, “Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago.”

Joe Exotic Biography 2024 Details

See More:

Lainey Wilson Biography

Kola Bokinni Biography

Dominic fike Biography

About Joe Exotic

Joseph Allen Maldonado, known professionally as Joe Exotic and nicknamed “The Tiger King”, is an American media personality and businessman who operated the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, from 1999 to 2018.

• Born: 5 March 1963 (age 61 years), Garden City, Kansas, United States
• Spouse: Dillon Passage (m. 2017–2023), Travis Maldonado (m. 2015–2017)
• Full name: Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage
• Children: Brandon Chappell
• Books: Tiger King: The Official Tell-All Memoir
• Previous campaign: United States Presidential election, 2020

See More: Colin Jost Biography

Early Life

Joe Exotic was born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel in Garden City, Kansas, to parents Francis and Shirley Schreibvogel. He had four siblings: Tamara, Pamela, Yarri, and Garold “G.W.” Wayne. The family relocated to Texas, where Exotic attended Pilot Point High School. After graduation, he joined the Eastvale police department, eventually rising to the position of chief in 1982. Exotic’s personal life has been marked by his estranged relationship with his family. He was outed as homosexual by his older brother Yarri, which led to a strained relationship with his father, who reportedly made him promise not to attend his funeral.

Exotic has shared that he was seriously injured in a car crash in 1985 when he crashed his police cruiser into a bridge, though his accounts of the accident have varied over time. In a 2019 interview with Texas Monthly, he described it as a suicide attempt, while in earlier statements he claimed to have been forced off the road during a drug investigation. A subsequent investigation in 2019 by New York could not confirm the details of the crash, though Exotic did present a photograph of the wrecked car as evidence.

See More: Eve Hewson Biography

Early Life

Joe Exotic was born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel on March 5, 1963, in Garden City, Kansas. He grew up with four siblings before the family moved to Texas. After high school, Joe briefly worked as a police officer and was promoted to chief of the Eastvale Police Department in 1982. However, after a 1985 car accident that left him injured, he eventually left the force. The details of the accident have been inconsistent in his interviews over the years.

Exotic Animal Career

Following his exit from law enforcement, Joe Exotic moved to Florida and began working in a pet store, where he first interacted with exotic animals. He then returned to Texas to open a pet store with his brother, G.W. After G.W. died in a car accident in 1997, Joe sold the store and moved to Oklahoma, where he bought a 16-acre property.

In 1999, he opened the Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park (later known as G.W. Zoo), initially home to several exotic animals, including tigers. By 2000, he had begun acquiring more tigers, alligators (including some owned by Michael Jackson), and other exotic creatures. In the early 2000s, Joe started developing a traveling magic show featuring large cats, which evolved into cub-petting events. He also became known for his flamboyant style, complete with a bleached mullet, and increasingly used his platform to promote the zoo and its animals.

See More: Michael Sheen Biography

Legal Troubles and Conviction

Joe Exotic’s legal troubles began well before his 2018 arrest. Investigations into his zoo’s practices, his treatment of animals, and his ongoing feud with Carole Baskin led to multiple legal issues. In 2018, Exotic was arrested for attempting to hire a hitman to kill Baskin. In January 2020, he was convicted on charges including two counts of attempted murder, wildlife violations, and the illegal killing of tigers. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Despite appeals, including petitions for clemency from former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, Exotic remains incarcerated.

Personal Life

Joe Exotic is openly gay and has had several relationships throughout his life, often with his zoo employees. His first known partner was Brian Rhyne, who passed away in 2001 from complications related to HIV. Exotic later entered relationships with John Finlay and Travis Maldonado. In 2013, the three men unofficially married each other. However, after a falling out with Finlay, Joe legally married Maldonado, who tragically died by suicide in 2017.

Later that year, Exotic married Dillon Passage, but the two separated in 2021 when Passage began a relationship with another man. In addition to his personal struggles, Joe has faced various health issues. Most recently, in 2021, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was transferred to a federal medical center in North Carolina for treatment.

See More: Tom Fletcher Biography

Joe Exotic’s Net Worth

Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is an American former zoo operator, convicted felon, and reality TV personality. His net worth is currently estimated at -$1 million. Exotic became widely known after the Netflix documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness (2020) brought global attention to his controversial career and legal issues.

Exotic operated the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (G.W. Zoo) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, from 1999 to 2018. In 2019, he was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hiring a hitman to kill his rival, Carole Baskin, the founder of Big Cat Rescue. As a result, he was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.