Dave Hester Net Worth (2025) income ,career and life insight
Dave Hester is a famous American auctioneer and reality TV star who was born on July 23, 1964. He is best known for his part on A&E’s Storage Wars. Hester has been a stalwart of the auction world for more than thirty years, known for his catchphrase “YUUUP!” and his firm buying style. Dave Hester’s projected net worth by 2025 is around $4 million.
He got that way by making a lot of money from TV—up to $25,000 per episode and over $800,000 per season at his peak—and running a successful auction business in Costa Mesa, California. Besides being on TV, he owns and runs Dave Hester Auctions, which uses his extensive knowledge of estate sales, antiques, and thrift stores. Hester has stayed involved in the industry and recently returned to Storage Wars after a legal dispute with A&E and health problems, including a major stroke. He is known as “The Mogul” and continues to change the way storage auctions work. In his private life, he focuses on business.
Social Profiles
Quick Bio
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dave Hester |
| Date of Birth | July 23, 1964 |
| Age (2025) | 61 |
| Birthplace | California, USA |
| Occupations | Auctioneer, Reality TV Star, Business Owner |
| Known For | Star and “YUUUP!” catchphrase on Storage Wars (A&E) |
| TV Career Highlight | Main cast member of Storage Wars since 2010; notable for high-stakes bidding and on-camera persona |
| Business Ventures | Owner of Dave Hester Auctions (Costa Mesa, CA); expert in estate sales, collectibles, and thrift goods |
| Estimated Net Worth (2025) | Around $4 million |
| Marital Status | Not publicly disclosed; keeps private life largely out of the media |
| Notable Events | Legal dispute with A&E over show; survived major health scare (stroke) and made a professional comeback |
| Other Highlights | Over 30 years in the auction industry; known as “The Mogul” in the storage auction world |
Who is Dave Hester?
Dave Hester an American businessman, auctioneer, and reality TV star who best known for his part on the hit show Storage Wars on A&E. Dave was born on July 23, 1964, at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, which is near Oceanside, California. As a child, he spent a lot of time around people who loved sales. Dave learned about sales and collecting from his military father, who was a huge fan of old trains and antiques. Dave learned early on how to spot valuable things by going with his father to auctions, yard sales, and estate sales.
He got his start in the sale business in Southern California by buying and selling storage units and things from people’s estates. After getting his auctioneer’s license in 1992, Dave Hester started “Dave Hester Auctions,” an auction company in Costa Mesa, California, that specializes in estate sales and consignment bids and has a 10,000-square-foot auction house. Not long before he became famous on TV, he was well-known in the auction world for his sharp wit and signature black hat.
Net worth of Dave Hester
| Year | Estimated Net Worth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early 2010s | Approx. $1-2 million | Early fame on Storage Wars debut; earnings from reality TV and auctioning business |
| Mid 2010s | Around $3 million | Continued TV fame; legal disputes with A&E; returned to show after settlement |
| Early 2020s | About $3.5 million | Runs Dave Hester Auctions; revenue from auctions, merchandise, public appearances |
| 2025 | $4 million | Steady income from TV, auction business, brand licensing of “YUUUP!” catchphrase, and public engagements |
Income and Business ventures of Dave Hester
Dave Hester makes money in 2025 from a few main sources that show how much he has earned from his decades of experience in the sale business and his fame from A&E’s Storage Wars:
- Television Earnings: Hester has made a good living from Storage Wars, apparently around $25,000 per episode. With guaranteed seasons of about 26 episodes, that adds up to about $650,000 per season. Signing bonuses, monthly trip allowances, and expense accounts are all types of extra income. He trademarked the word “YUUUP!” which has become his famous catchphrase. It has also brought him money through brand licensing and merchandise sales.
- Auction Business: He runs Dave Hester Auctions, a 10,000-square-foot auction house in Costa Mesa, California, that sells items from estate sales, consignments, and other people. This business brings in a lot of money thanks to his strong auctioneering skills and selling knowledge gained over more than 25 years.
- Brand Licensing and product: The catchphrase “YUUUP!” used for licensing and product deals, which brings in extra money for him outside of the show.
- Appearances in public and speaking engagements: Hester makes money by paid to talk at auctions, gatherings, and media events about his reality TV fame and auction skills.
Hester has kept up with his business and TV appearances, even though he has been in legal battles with A&E over alleged show scripting and “salting” of storage units and had a health setback in 2018 with a hemorrhagic stroke. These things helped him build a net worth that is expected to be around $4 million as of 2025.
Dave Hester’s Net Worth in 2025
Dave Hester’s net worth thought to be around $4 million as of 2025. His income spread across:
- TV Salary: Money made from Storage Wars shows and specials, as well as contracts that last for more than one season.
- Auction Business Income: Earnings from Dave Hester Auctions and other businesses that linked to it, like estate sales and collecting things.
Brand licensing means getting royalties from trademarked words like “YUUUP!” and the sales of goods that go with them.
- Appointments to speak in public and hold auctions: paid appearances at conventions, auctions, and media interviews.
Dave’s net worth is lower than some reality TV stars’, but it comes from decades of work in the auction business and his fame from reality TV.
Personal life and family of Dave Hester
Here are some facts about Dave Hester’s personal life and family:
- Parents: The Marine Corps station Camp Pendleton, which is near Oceanside, California, is where Dave was born on July 23, 1964. He had a German and an Irish father, and his mother was born in Mexico. His father was a military man and an avid hoarder and collector of train collectibles.
- Siblings:Dave has one brother. Reports say that they don’t have a close bond.
- Wife and Children:Dave Hester has married to Donna Hester for a long time and they two children. Their son named Dave Hester Jr., and he sometimes goes on Storage Wars with his dad.
- Family Life: Dave known for being loud and outspoken on TV, but he keeps his personal and family life very quiet and known to be shy when he’s not working.
This family history shows a mix of military roots, cultural diversity (his mother is Mexican), and a private life that mostly hidden from the public, despite his reality TV fame.
Physical measurement of Dave Hester
Dave Hester’s physical measurements as of 2025 are approximately:
- Height: 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm)
- Weight: Around 165 pounds (75 kg)
- Eye Color: Hazel
- Hair Color: Grey
Comparison with other Celebrities
| Celebrity | Height | Weight | Estimated Net Worth (2025) | Notable Career Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Hester | About 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | Around 165 lbs (75 kg) | Approximately $4 million | Auctioneer and star of A&E’s Storage Wars, known for “YUUUP!” catchphrase; owner of Dave Hester Auctions |
| Al Roker | About 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | Approximately 165-190 lbs (75-86 kg) | Around $70 million | Longtime NBC Today weather anchor, author, media personality, entrepreneur |
| John Tesh | About 6 ft (183 cm) | Lean physique | Around $30 million | Musician, composer, TV host, and radio personality |
| Trey Gowdy | About 6 ft (183 cm) | Not publicly disclosed | About $10 million | Former U.S. Congressman, legal analyst, and commentator |
| Terry Crews | About 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | Around 245 lbs (111 kg) | Estimated $25 million |
Important things to remember about this comparison:
- Compared to these famous people, Dave Hester is about normal height and weight. However, his net worth is lower than that of long-time media stars like Al Roker or John Tesh.
- His net worth of about $4 million comes from a successful business career based on auctions and his fame from reality TV, but it’s not as much as some multimillion-dollar media jobs.
- Hester’s job is one of a kind because he combines his knowledge of auctions with his fame from reality TV. His famous “YUUUP!” call is a big part of his public image and his income streams.
- Hester, on top of his work on reality TV, still mostly focused on sales and the storage unit business, while some others expanded into different media and entertainment businesses.
Get A Lot of Attention in Storage Wars
In 2010, Dave got his big break in reality TV when he cast in A&E’s Storage Wars, a show about people betting on the contents of storage units that have rented out but not paid for. His quick-fire auctioneering style, along with his straight-forward personality and catchphrase “YUUUP!,” made him stand out right away from the rest of the group. Because Storage Wars so famous, Dave became known all over the country and seen by millions of people.
Reality TV stars on Storage Wars have made different amounts of money, but Dave supposedly made up to $25,000 per episode and up to $800,000 per season at his peak. His “YUUUP!” call turned into a valuable brand asset that licensed and trademarked, which helped him make more money through merchandise and public appearances.
Also read more : Abner Gelin Net Worth, Financial status and income sources
Business Ideas Besides TV of Dave Hester
Dave Hester runs his own auction business called Dave Hester Auctions, which focuses on estate and consignment sales. He has been in charge of big auction halls, like a well-known one in Costa Mesa, California, that was 10,000 square feet. In addition to auctions, Dave has run resale shops like Newport Consignment Gallery and Rags to Riches thrift store, which he did until he closed them in 2011 to focus on sales and TV.
He uses his knowledge of antiques, collectibles, and storage unit contents to help his business, which helps him keep his image as “The Mogul” in the auction world.
Battles in court and the cost
Dave Hester fired from Storage Wars in 2012 after saying that the show planned auctions and predetermined the winners. These claims got a lot of attention from the media. He sued A&E Network, saying they fired him unfairly, broke their contract, did bad business, and committed theft.
After the case was over in 2014, Hester came back to the show for Season 5 and beyond. Hester temporarily sidelined from his TV career because of the lawsuit, but he able to get his part back on the show, though it did cut into his income for a while.
Property and Things
Notes on publicly known information Dave Hester owns homes in Southern California, but the exact facts and values of these homes are still secret. His lifestyle, reflective of a seasoned auctioneer, includes tangible assets such as collectible items, vehicles, and auction tools important for his business.
In line with his professional image, his assets and spending habits value utility and business reinvestment over flashy luxury.
Personal Life and Public Image
Dave Hester doesn’t talk much about his personal life. David Hester is his wife, and they have a son named Dave Jr. Dave has one brother and is close to his family roots. He was born to a Mexican mother and an auctioneer father.
Dave is sometimes portrayed as combative or aggressive on Storage Wars, but his coworkers and fans know him as a dedicated worker with decades of experience. People think that he is more calm and thoughtful in real life than he is on reality TV.
Problems and Solutions in Your Career
Following his firing in 2012, David Hester took a break from Storage Wars. He returned in Season 5 after the settlement of his case. In 2018, Dave was said to have had a health scare but recovered fully, showing that he is strong in both his personal and work life.
Fans were happy to see him again because they liked how knowledgeable he was about auctions and how he was on TV. This helped him rebuild his brand and keep his power in the storage sale community.
The Future and Our Legacy
Dave Hester could make more money in the future by continuing to be on Storage Wars, growing his auction business, advising, giving public speaking engagements, and licensing his personal brand. He is remembered as a pioneering auctioneer who took his skills to reality TV and made more people aware of the storage auction business.
He will probably keep making money through brand-related businesses and teaching others how to do what he does, which will keep his impact going for a long time.
FAQS
What is Dave Hester’s net worth in 2025?
It is thought that Dave Hester is worth about $4 million.
What did Dave Hester do to make money?
Mostly through his business, Dave Hester Auctions, auctions, Storage Wars, brand licensing, merchandise, and public events.
What did Dave Hester do after Storage Wars?
He was fired in 2012 because he was in a legal battle with A&E Network. He came back to the show in 2014 after his case was settled, and he has since kept up his auction business and TV appearances.
Does Dave Hester still work as an auctioneer?
Yes, he is still running Dave Hester Auctions and working in the sale business.
What does “YUUUP” mean, and is it a trademark?
“YUUUP!” is Dave Hester’s signature auctioneer call that means a bid has been accepted. It is a trademark that is used for licensing and selling goods under the brand name.
Conclusion
Dave Hester has gone from being a young fan of auctions to a reality TV star with a successful auction business. He has a good net worth of about $4 million as of 2025, thanks to his famous “YUUUP!” call and smart auction skills. Even though he has had problems with the law and his health, he has shown that he is strong and flexible by staying famous in both the sale world and on TV.
Also read more : David Weinreb Net Worth, Financial assets and earnings streams 2025
