Craig Gottlieb was born in 1971 in Miami, Florida USA, and is an antique and militaria dealer, who came to prominence after discovering Adolf Hitler’s desk set from the ‘30s, on which the Munich Agreement was penned. Thanks to his knowledge and dedication, he was featured in the TV program “Pawn Stars” (2012-2014).
Have you ever wondered how rich Craig Gottlieb is, as of early 2018? Authoritative sources estimate that Gottlieb’s net worth is now over $8 million, accumulated from his business which began in the 1990s, and from his TV appearances.
Craig Gottlieb Net Worth $8 Million
Craig is of Jewish ancestry; his paternal grandparents were Russian emigrants who settled in the USA on the verge of the 20th century, and his father continued their Jewish tradition, while his mother is a Protestant, who converted to Judaism following her marriage to Craig’s father. Although they later differed in following Jewish roots, they celebrated all major Jewish holidays.
Before starting his business, Craig studied philosophy at Cornell University, and graduated with a BA degree with honors. He then enlisted into the US Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Major before resigning; his military service stirred an interest in military memorabilia, later becoming a business.
Since starting his antique and militaria dealership, Craig has been credited with uncovering a number of artifacts directly owned by or belonging to Adolf Hitler. This includes a desk set used by the Fuhrer to sign the Munich Pact of 1938, then the dictator’s hat, medals and items of uniform. Also paintings of Hitler’s parents, and on his own presumption, a false Italian passport belonging to Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz concentration camp physician, which he used to flee to Argentina before the fall of the Third Reich – Craig found the document with the help of his connections in Buenos Aires.
Aside from these numerous World War II objects, Craig also owned a Luger pistol, which was used during the film “Hell’s Angels” (1930), and was formerly owned by the one and only Howard Hughes.
After successful years of managing his business, Craig came to be featured in the show “Pawn Stars”, on which he displayed his knowledge of World War II memorabilia, speaking to people who believe they have valuable pieces from this important part of 20th century history. One piece of particular interest and value sold by Craig at auction in 2014 was Hitler’s personal copy of “Mein Kampf”, for $28,400 – part of the proceeds of which Craig donated to Jewish charities – as he says ‘… perhaps the ultimate irony…’. Copies personally signed by Hitler have been known to sell for larger amounts still.
In recent years Craig became a part of the documentary series “Nazi War Diggers”, produced by National Geographic, but the network had problems with criticism from archaeologists, and the show’s premiere was postponed, until it eventually debuted in 2015 on the Discovery Channel, and in 2016 had its premiere on Channel 5 in the UK. The show is set in Eastern Europe, and its main focus is in finding other artifacts utilized during the Nazis regime, subsequently abandoned during their retreat from this part of the world.
Regarding his personal life, Craig is married to Madeline Jackson, and they have four sons. The family now resides in San Diego, where he is on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
