Chris Larsen
$3 billion
Mike Wolfe’s net worth is estimated at $7 million as of 2026. He is an American antique picker, television personality, and entrepreneur who created and stars in the History Channel’s long-running reality series American Pickers. Beyond television, Wolfe built a business empire around his lifelong passion for antiques, operating retail shops, publishing books, and launching new television ventures.
Updated March 2026: According to People and IMDb, Wolfe launched a new History Channel project, History’s Greatest Picks, in 2026 following the death of his longtime co-star Frank Fritz in 2024. His net worth estimate of $7 million reflects earnings from television, antique sales, and merchandise, offset by business closures including the shuttering of his Nashville Antique Archaeology location in April 2025.
Mike Wolfe was born on November 6, 1964, in Joliet, Illinois. He began picking antiques at age six, scouring neighbors’ trash and local junkyards for salvageable items. Wolfe has described his childhood fascination with discarded objects as more than a hobby — it was an obsession that would define his entire professional life. Details of his formal education are not publicly documented, but his career was built on self-taught expertise in American antiques, folk art, and industrial artifacts accumulated over decades of hands-on picking experience.
Wolfe opened his first Antique Archaeology store in Le Claire, Iowa in 2000. A decade of cultivating relationships with collectors, dealers, and hoarders across the American Midwest provided the material and contacts for his television pitch.
American Pickers premiered on the History Channel on January 18, 2010, and became the network’s highest-rated nonfiction debut to date. The show followed Wolfe and co-host Frank Fritz traveling the country in a white van, negotiating purchases from private collections stored in barns, garages, and warehouses. By 2026, the series had completed 27 seasons, making it one of the longest-running unscripted shows on cable television. Wolfe served as executive producer in addition to host.
In 2011, Wolfe expanded Antique Archaeology to a second location in Nashville, Tennessee, capitalizing on tourism traffic and the show’s popularity. The Nashville store became a tourist destination in its own right, though it closed in April 2025. Wolfe has also published books on antique culture, launched a line of Indian Motorcycles-endorsed merchandise, and partnered with apparel brands.
In January 2026, Wolfe launched History’s Greatest Picks, a new History Channel project that continues his on-screen picking career in the aftermath of Frank Fritz’s death in August 2024.
Mike Wolfe married Jodi Faeth in 2012 after years of dating. The couple have one daughter, Charlie Faeth Wolfe, born in 2012. Jodi filed for divorce in 2021; the proceedings were finalized around the same period. Wolfe subsequently began a relationship with model and TV personality Leticia Cline. In September 2025, Wolfe was injured in a car accident. His longtime co-star and friend Frank Fritz died in August 2024 following complications from a stroke; Wolfe posted a tribute to Fritz on social media, calling him “my brother.” In February 2026, Wolfe’s mother Rita passed away, a significant personal loss he acknowledged publicly.
Mike Wolfe’s net worth is estimated at $7 million as of 2026. His wealth comes primarily from his role as creator, host, and executive producer of American Pickers, along with his Antique Archaeology retail business, book royalties, and merchandise partnerships.
Mike Wolfe was born on November 6, 1964, making him 61 years old as of March 2026. He was born in Joliet, Illinois and raised in Iowa, where he began collecting antiques at age six.
Mike Wolfe stands 6 feet tall (1.83 meters). His height is often noted relative to his former co-host Frank Fritz, who was notably shorter at around 5’7″.
Following his divorce from Jodi Faeth around 2021, Mike Wolfe began dating Leticia Cline, a model and television personality. The couple have been publicly linked since 2022, though they have maintained a relatively private relationship.
At the peak of American Pickers‘ run, Mike Wolfe reportedly earned approximately $25,000 per episode, translating to roughly $500,000 per season. As creator and executive producer, he also receives backend compensation beyond his on-screen talent fee. The show has aired 27 seasons through 2026.
Yes, Mike Wolfe continues to operate the original Antique Archaeology store in Le Claire, Iowa, which has been open since 2000. His Nashville, Tennessee location closed in April 2025, reportedly due to declining foot traffic and business pressures unrelated to the show’s ongoing production.
Frank Fritz, Mike Wolfe’s longtime co-host on American Pickers, died in August 2024 following complications from a stroke. Fritz had left the show in 2021 amid health and personal challenges. Wolfe publicly mourned the loss, describing Fritz as a lifelong friend and “brother.” In 2026, Wolfe launched a new show, History’s Greatest Picks, continuing his television picking career without Fritz.