Corey ‘Big Hoss’ Harrison is one of the stars of the hit History Channel show Pawn Stars and part owner of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop that the show is filmed in. Since the show began airing in 2009, the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop has become a huge tourist attraction as people try and catch a glimpse of the stars of the show.
Harrison has helped build the family business to the heights it is at today, but he also has many other business ventures and many other interesting things going on in his life. Here are 10 things that you didn’t know about Corey Harrison from Pawn Stars.
1. The Opening Of The Future World Famous Pawn Shop
Harrison began his career much earlier than most people, with him being put to work at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop opened he was just 9 years old. While still in school, he would help out his father and grandfather by doing odd jobs around the store, including polishing jewelry and antiques to make them more appealing to buyers. This will have been an invaluable experience that will have instilled the work ethic and entrepreneurship that has shaped his life over the years.
2. Life Before Pawn Stars
Harrison was born on April 27, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he still resides today. His father, Rick Harrison, and grandfather, Richard Harrison, opened the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in 1989, where both would work ever since. He has 3 siblings, Jake, Adam, and Christopher Harrison but none of these work at the pawn shop. Before becoming a part owner of the pawn shop, Harrison would pursue other career paths, including as an electrician and construction worker. Today, Harrison helps to oversee the store’s 30 employees and is the highest purchaser and seller at the shop, showing how valuable he is in the business.
3. His Early Years As A Pawn Broker
As the years went on and the store became more and more successful, Harrison chose to join the family business full-time and would late be given a 5% stake in the company. With the company being over 30 years old, it makes sense that they keep doing what brought them to the dance, with most of the products bought and sold being jewelry, antiques, and exciting one-of-a-kind items. The store first caught the attention of TV producers and was featured in a PBS documentary in 2001 as well as HBO’s Insomniac With Dave Attell in 2003. The family then spent 4 years pitching a show based around the shop before the History Channel took a chance on it.
4. The Super Bowl Ring
During his time at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, Harrison has had many one-of-a-kind items pass through his hands, but with any item comes a level of risk, and his ability to know when to play safe and when to take a chance has helped him become the success he is today. One of the more unique one-of-a-kind items that came to him was a Super Bowl XXXVI ring owned by New England Patriot Brock Williams.
The Super Bowl ring was used as collateral on a $2,500 loan that Williams never paid back. Rather than selling it for a profit, the family decided to keep it on display in the store’s jewelry case. After all, it’s not every day that you get the chance to own a Super Bowl ring.
5. Pawn Stars
After 4 years of pitching, Leftfield Studios agreed to create a reality show about the day-to-day running of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, which began airing on the History Channel in 2009. The show features the 3 Harrison family members, and the cast is rounded out by the inclusion of Harrison’s childhood friend Austin ‘Chumlee’ Russell. As of the time of writing, Pawn Stars is still on the air after over a decade and remains as popular as ever.
6. Corey’s Net Worth
Thanks to the success of the Pawn Stars TV show and the store itself, Harrison has managed to amass a net worth of approximately $5 million. In addition to his work at the shop, Harrison also purchased a Quizno franchise with Chumlee as well as owning a beauty bar, among other business ventures.
7. His Other TV Appearances
Since Pawn Stars first began, Harrison has become an international TV star, appearing in shows across the world. These include various country-specific Pawn Stars spin-off shows, as well as other related shows, including American Restoration, Country Cars, and Pawnography. Harrison and Chumlee also featured in an episode of iCarly in 2012.
8. His Weightloss Journey
For many years Harrison struggled with his weight, and after being diagnosed as pre-diabetic, he became extremely worried about his health. In 2010 he opted to undergo gastric bypass surgery after reaching 365 pounds. Following the surgery and by sticking to a healthier lifestyle, Harrison has managed to drop his weight down to 250 pounds which has become much more manageable for him.
9. An Incredibly Scary Situation
While en route to his own birthday party in 2014, Harrison was involved in a motorcycle accident. Thankfully, the injuries weren’t serious, and he was able to return to filming Pawn Stars quickly, with it being mentioned numerous times on the show. But it must have been an incredibly scary situation for all of the people involved; we hope he still managed to enjoy his party.
10. Corey’s Family Life
Like his father and grandfather, Harrison is very much a family man. He married his high school sweetheart, Charlene, but later divorced in 2915. Since 2017 he has been married to Kiki and regularly posts about their life and adventures. In 2018 the couple welcomed their first child into the world named Richard Benjamin Harrison, the same name as his late grandfather, better known as the Old Man on Pawn Stars, who passed away in 2018.Pawn Stars is still on the air
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