Dog The Bounty Hunter Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Net Worth?

American bounty hunter, television personality, and former bail bondsman Dog the Bounty Hunter possesses a net worth of $6 million. Gaining celebrity as a television figure and bounty hunter, he transitioned into this field following his prison release, where he was incarcerated due to a first-degree murder conviction. After his release, Chapman changed his life, embarking on a career as a bail bondsman and bounty hunter.

In 2003, Dog captured national attention by apprehending Andrew Luster, an heir to Max Factor, who had escaped the country during his trial on rape accusations. This significant capture led to his own reality TV series, “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” which was broadcast on A&E from 2004 to 2012, consisting of 246 episodes across nine seasons. The series depicted Dog, his wife Beth, and their team in their hunts for fugitives in Hawaii and Colorado.

Over the course of his career, Dog authored several books, made countless television appearances, and appeared in spin-off shows such as “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt” and “Dog’s Most Wanted.” Despite dealing with controversies and personal hardships, including the passing of his wife Beth from cancer in 2019, Dog remains an iconic figure in popular culture and continues to be active in the bail bonds industry.

Early Life

Born Duane Lee Chapman on February 2, 1953, in Denver, Colorado, Dog the Bounty Hunter is the offspring of Wesley Duane Chapman (1930-2000), a former welder turned bail bondsman, and Barbara Darlene Chapman. He has three siblings. At the age of 15, Chapman left his family home to join the Devils’ Disciples, a biker gang. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 1976, receiving a five-year prison sentence for being complicit in the shooting death of a drug dealer while sitting in a car. Ultimately, he served 18 months, during which time his wife, LaFonda, divorced him. After serving his term at Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, he was paroled in January 1979, inspired by a prison guard to pursue a career in bounty hunting. Due to his felony conviction, Dog is prohibited from owning a firearm and has been restricted from entering the United Kingdom.

The Capture of Andrew Luster

In June 2003, Chapman garnered international news headlines after apprehending Andrew Luster, the heir to Max Factor cosmetics. Accused of drugging and raping multiple women, Luster had fled the U.S. amidst his trial, resulting in a conviction on 86 charges in his absence. Chapman, accompanied by his son Leland and friend Tim Chapman—who interestingly are not related—formed a “hunt team” that successfully apprehended Luster in Mexico. However, on their way to deliver Luster to the authorities, they were intercepted and arrested. Identification confirmed Luster’s identity, and he was transported to California to begin his 125-year incarceration.

The other three men were denied bail initially. However, after Beth Chapman, Dog’s wife, notified the media, they received bail. Heeding their lawyer’s counsel, they left Mexico, thereby becoming unintentional international bail jumpers. Three years later, just prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations, the three were detained by U.S. Marshals, at the request of the Mexican government, which had charged them with deprivation of liberty and illegal bounty hunting. The following day, Chapman appeared in…

A bail was set for the men, who were also instructed to wear electronic monitoring devices. In 2007, a request to drop the extradition charges against Dog the Bounty Hunter was sent by several state representatives, and the resolution was subsequently passed. On August 2, 2007, all charges against the three men were dismissed by the Mexican court.

Reality TV Career

Chapman has made appearances on shows such as “Take This Job” and “Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice.” The debut of his show “Dog the Bounty Hunter” occurred in 2004 on A&E and showcased the capture of criminals and bail jumpers by Dog and his partners. Over eight seasons, the show aired until its cancellation in 2012. Ozzy Osbourne was the performer of the iconic theme song. In September 2012, CMT announced the commissioning of a new series titled “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt,” which was set to premiere in April 2013. This show featured Chapman alongside his wife, Beth, and their son, while following a similar format as the original series. After leaving the previous show in 2012, his son returned to work with them in this new series, which lasted for three seasons until its cancellation in 2016. In 2019, a spin-off titled “Dog’s Most Wanted,” focusing on Dog and Beth, aired for one season.

He has written two books, including his autobiography “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide,” published in 2007, which reached #1 on the “New York Times” bestseller list. Additionally, Dog has made guest appearances on numerous episodes of various television series such as “Hollywood Squares,” “My Name Is Earl,” and “Hawaii Five-O.”

Personal Life

Following a released phone call filled with hate speech directed at his son, Dog faced allegations of racism. This led A&E to temporarily suspend his show, though it was reinstated after two months.

Having been married five times, Dog is the father of 11 children. In 1972, he wed La Fonda Sue Darnell, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1977 when Dog was convicted of murder; custody of their two children was granted to her. Later, after their mother became involved in a crime that placed the children in foster care, Chapman regained custody. He tied the knot with Ann Tegnell in 1979 shortly after his parole. His third marriage was to Lyssa Rae Brittain from 1982 until 1991. Following an arrest for drug possession, he married Tawny Marie Chapman in 1988, who subsequently became his secretary. Their marriage concluded in divorce in 2002 without any children.

His fifth spouse was Beth Barmore, with whom he maintained an on-and-off relationship until their marriage on May 20, 2006. Together, Dog and Beth managed a bail bonds business, and she frequently appeared on “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” Tragically, Beth passed away from throat cancer on June 26, 2019, in Hawaii.

Real Estate

In October 2009, Dog acquired a 6,200-square-foot mansion on over 9 acres in Castle Rock, Colorado, for $750,000. He listed the property for $1.69 million in October 2022, having moved to Florida prior to putting the home on the market.