Car enthusiasts know Aaron Kaufman, the strongly bearded prodigy from Discovery Channel’s successful reality show Fast N’ Loud. The fans were inconsolable in early 2017 when Kaufman told his buddy Richard Rawlings, his buddy on the show, that he was leaving him to take on new challenges. That Kaufman left the show also meant he was no longer working at Gas Monkey Garage, the Dallas-based mechanic where he and Rawlings dismantled and built cars for 14 years.
Kaufman cited different professional and personal preferences as reasons for leaving his buddy. He pointed out that the incredible deadlines put so much pressure on him that he could not pursue other interests. Kaufman said that he didn’t feel comfortable building cars in a few weeks and that he would prefer to build them at his own pace – fans of the show know how much of a perfectionist Kaufman is.
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To satisfy fans’ curiosity, Kaufman quickly talked about his next project – building Ford F-100 trucks. For those who do not know: Ford is one of Kaufman’s favorite car brands. To arouse his new interest, Kaufman founded the manufacturing company ArcLight.
Kaufman’s departure from Fast N’ Loud obviously surprised Rawling and broke his heart a bit, but both are in good shape and have no grudge against each other. After Kaufman started his new business, Gas Monkey showed some love by writing about it in his blog. The Gas Monkey article read
“Some may remember that Aaron Kaufman and Richard broke up with Fast N’ Loud last season, but that doesn’t mean it’s the last time you see them both. Fast N’ Loud returns this fall with some great builds and a few surprises, and as for Aaron, he has just opened a great manufacturing company, arclightfab.com.
“Aaron is returning to his Ford roots and will be producing for the early Ford trucks that are dear to him and will be hosting a cruise for like-minded enthusiasts this fall. The “Fun Hundred Run” takes participants through hundreds of miles of Texas’ best roads with campgrounds and fellowships along the way. He has also set up a store with great shirts, hats, and stickers, so be sure to show him some love in his new endeavors”.
Aaron Kaufman Bio
Aaron Kaufman was born on January 26, 1982, in Crowley, Texas. Even as a child, Kaufman developed a talent for tearing things apart and rebuilding them in various ways. As he grew older, he developed a passion for cars, which eventually brought him into the world of hot rods. Kaufman refined his talent into an extraordinary self-taught designer, mechanic, and hot-rod driver. He immediately began working in a local garage and it wasn’t long before his mechanic colleague and entrepreneur Richard Rawlings discovered him.
Rawlings had visited the local garage where Kaufman worked and asked them to offer him their best man to run his ’53 Ford Mainline. Kaufman was that best man, and Rawlings was incredibly impressed with his performance.
When Rawlings wanted to start a new business, he asked Kaufman to become his business partner. The duo had the idea for Gas Monkey Garage and brought it to reality TV as Fast N’ Loud. The show showed how the Gas Monkey crew searched for tired and run-down cars and restored them profitably. The show, which premiered on Discovery in 2012, quickly became a huge hit, leading to both instant fame and fortune.
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Aaron Kaufman Salary, Net Worth
While it is not clear how much Kaufman earned per episode of Fast N’ Loud, it is a known fact that Rawlings received $50,000 per episode. So we estimated that Kaufman earned between $10,000 and $40,000 for his perfect touches.
The net worth of Aaron Kaufman is estimated at $6 million. This figure will certainly increase with his new company. As the Gas Monkey blog reports, Kaufman will also sell goods on his company website. These include T-shirts, hats and stickers, and of course F-100 parts.
Kaufman has also considered putting his own show on television, with Discovery Chanel on his heels.
He gave an indication of what his own TV show could look like, Kaufman told ArtofGears.com;
“We have conversations about television, but when I do, I want to be ecstatic about it. I want to be very proud of the program and the parts I make, so we are really looking for a new approach to automotive television. When we go back to building cars on television, it will be based on the premise of having fun with cars. Building cars out of imagination and excitement and cars that move the soul and also the body. Not cars that are built to be auctioned, but to make money. There are many people who make their living with it, we will do it on TV and we will have fun”.
Aaron Kaufman has received several awards for his work. In 2015 he was named “Top 25 Young Event Professional” by Special Event Magazine. He was also named president of the Toronto chapter of the International Special Events Society.
Wife, Girlfriend
Kaufman had previously spent three and a half years with a certain Lindsay J. Their relationship began and ended when Kaufman had not yet found fame with Fast N’ Loud.
After they broke up and Kaufman found fame, Lindsay started a blog called “About That Bearded Guy” where she published photos of herself and Aaron, including beardless photos of Aaron, and answered questions about their relationship.
Kaufman began dating Lauren Moore in 2015. Both published photos of the other on their respective Instagram accounts.
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Catch Up with Kaufman on Instagram.
