What is David Choe’s net worth? Is David Choe married?
Introduction
David Choe is an American artist, musician, ex-journalist, and podcast host.
Choe is best known for his large variety of artwork, which he creates to explore darker themes.
Choe has experienced several careers throughout his life, having worked as a journalist and podcast host before living a life based on exploring his life themes.
Previously serving as an investigative reporter on Vice and working for HBO, not too much is known about Choe’s current lifestyle.
Choe had been homeless for several years before his net worth suddenly spiked, and he mainly disappeared from the limelight.
Now, David Choe has reemerged with a new life and new line of work.
So, let’s take a look at the past of David Choe, the Xeric Grant-winning painter and artist.
David Choe Net Worth – $250 million
Virtually all of his net worth is attributed to his few million shares of Facebook stock, roughly giving him 0.1% to 0.25% ownership of the company.
However, Choe might have sold his stock when Facebook IPO’d in 2012.
He also published a graphic novel titled “Slow Jams.” Choe appeared in several TV series, including — “The Mandalorian.”
Therefore, David Choe has an estimated net worth of $250 million.
Wife/Girlfriend
David Choe is not married.
According to most reports, David Choe is currently single and potentially not looking to start a family.
Choe supposedly has been in a previous relationship earlier, although neither that relationship nor information on his current relationships is publicly available.
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The Origin Story
David Choe was born on April 21st, 1976, in Los Angeles, California.
Choe was exposed to his parents’ Korean roots from a young age, having lived most of his childhood in Koreatown, LA.
Since his childhood, Choe had been spray-painting murals on the streets before briefly attending the California College of the Arts.
Before dropping out of school, Choe had concluded that he would spend the rest of his life making art and work for others.
There’s not too much more information on Choe’s early life, although he stayed within San Francisco and the greater Californian lands for a while.
Nonetheless, Choe eventually left the state to become a graphic novel artist.
Career
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Graphic Designer
The consensus for Choe’s career starts in 1996, publishing his graphic novel “Slow Jams.”
However, Choe has said that only 200 copies were printed, with him having given them all away at the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con.
However, following generally good reviews from Comic-Con attendees, Choe submitted Slow Jams in 1999 for the Xeric Grant.
The Xeric Grant is a relatively prestigious award established in 1992 by Peter Laird, the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Choe won the Xeric Grant, with a new $5,000 to publish a second, more extensive version of the original Slow Jam.
As such, Choe released 1,000 copies to the public in 1999, at $4. Now with general experience under his belt, Choe returned to his home to work on painting instead.
Mural Artist
Following this win, Choe decided to work as a freelance mural artist. His first private order was from Facebook’s president, Sean Parker.
With Parker requesting Choe mural the entire building, Choe asked for $60 thousand as payment.
Parker gave him an important choice: cash or Facebook stock.
At the time, Facebook was a small company worth virtually nothing, but Choe took a risk and chose Facebook stock.
If Choe had held onto his 0.1% to 0.25% of the company, he would be worth upwards of $2.5 billion from a Facebook valuation of $1 trillion.
Nonetheless, Choe went to hitchhike across the globe.
According to multiple interviews, Choe had used this time to paint the streets around the world, dodging and finding himself in several police forces’ ways.
He was arrested multiple times before turning religious and working to repair his relationships.
Journalist, Writer, and an Artist
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Up to this point, his life was documented in the 2008 feature-length documentary, “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe,” which reviewed his life as an artist.
The documentary was initially a 30-minute short before expanding into a one-and-a-half-hour-long feature-length documentary.
The documentary went on to find surprising reception, invigorating the public’s view of Choe.
He had previously serviced art at his first New York solo exhibit in 2007 and UK solo exhibition in 2008, although Choe’s reputation picked up speed after the documentary.
It picked up enough, in fact, that he was offered a job at Vice magazine as a writer and artist.
Choe was initially approached for artwork and was hired after Vice found him too good to pass on.
He headlined the online series titled “Thumbs Up!” which tracked him and Harry Kim, his documentary’s director, as they hitchhiked around all the US and China.
The series was successfully brought back for three seasons, and a fourth was released on social media.
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Back to Being an Artist
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By this time, Choe had slowly brought down his public exhibitions.
In 2009, he appeared at three; 2010 had four, and 2011 had four.
By 2012, Choe appeared in just one production.
However, in 2013, Choe was part of seven exhibitions, relighting interest in his artwork and general status.
Additionally brought up was his charitable work. Choe had been donating his works and much of his money to philanthropic causes, such as Haiti’s recovery, painting with children in poverty, and more.
In 2014, Choe even donated $100,000 after finding the money in a shoebox.
Choe launched a nationwide scavenger hunt with the money, which, when won, would greet the winner with money and a flight to LA to receive a painting from Choe himself.
The same year, Choe helped launch the lifestyle and entertainment podcast “DVDASA” alongside Asa Akira.
The podcast was “an extension of his art,” bringing his visual “dirty style” into a more verbal form.
Turning Around His Past
However, his launch of DVDASA led him and others to realize that he needed help, moving to join extensive therapy and treatment.
Choe spent a few years in rehab and therapy before emerging in 2017 with new work focusing on themes of trauma, reflection, and recovery.
This work would be featured on the Bowery Mural Wall in 2017 before being removed via protests from other artists.
Since then, Choe has been relatively silent, leading a quieter life with occasional art releases to his fans.
FAQ
Who is David Choe?
He is an American artist who gained fame and wealth for painting murals in the interior of Facebook’s first Silicon Valley office.
Who is David Choe’s wife?
He is not married.
How much is David Choe worth?
He has a net worth of $250 million.
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