David Green Hobby Lobby Net Worth

So, you want to know how much money David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, has stacked up in his garage-sized safe? Let’s just say he’s not shopping for yarn on a budget. According to Forbes, his net worth hovers around a cool $12 billion as of late 2024. That’s enough to buy every single glitter glue stick on Earth—twice.

Imagine walking into a Hobby Lobby and buying everything in the store. Now imagine doing that for the next 10,000 years. That’s roughly the financial firepower we’re talking about. David Green didn’t just start a craft store; he launched a chunky-glitter empire that prints money faster than you can say “buy one, get one 50% off.”

The Humble Beginnings (But With Fringe)

Back in 1970, David Green started making picture frames out of his garage with a $600 loan. Today, the man makes more in 30 seconds than most of us earn in a year. He called his first store “Hobby Lobby” because, as he put it, “I wanted people to know we didn’t sell tires.”

What’s wild is that Green still goes to work every single day. He doesn’t sit on a pile of cash like a dragon hoarding silk flowers. He’s famously thrifty, once telling reporters, “I still drive a 2012 Toyota Camry.” Let that sink in—the man worth $12 billion has a car that probably has a sticky cup holder.

The “Closed on Sunday” Paradox

Here’s a surprising fact that makes economists scratch their heads: Hobby Lobby closes every Sunday. For religious reasons, the Green family believes Sunday is a day of rest. Analysts predicted this would bankrupt the chain. Instead, Hobby Lobby grew to over 1,000 stores, proving that God apparently loves fake flowers and discounted art supplies.

You want a joke? David Green’s net worth is so large that if he paid every employee an extra $10 an hour on Sundays—just for staying home—he’d still be richer than most countries. He literally buys time by not selling glue on the sabbath. That’s next-level power.

David Green is giving away Hobby Lobby... - The Lost Ogle

The Art Collection That Breaks Your Brain

David Green doesn’t just sell art; he buys the entire history of Christianity. He owns a collection of rare Bibles and religious artifacts worth over $500 million. One of his purchases? A Gutenberg Bible fragment. You know, the book that started the printing revolution? Yeah, he bought it like we buy a pack of Mod Podge.

But here’s the punchline: In 2017, Green accidentally bought looted ancient artifacts from the Middle East and got sued by the US government. He had to pay $3 million and hand over 5,000 artifacts. That’s like accidentally shoplifting a museum. Even his mistakes make headlines.

The Real Secret to His Fortune

Why did Hobby Lobby succeed? Control. The Greens own 100% of the company. No shareholders, no board of directors telling them to stop buying 40-foot-tall wooden giraffes. They invest in real estate like crazy—they own the buildings, the parking lots, and probably the clouds above them.

Hobby Lobby's David Green giving away company: 'Chose God'

Also, they never discount the good stuff. You know that 40% off coupon that only works on “regular-priced items”? That’s a psychological trap. David Green made his billions by selling you the illusion of a deal while you happily buy a single sheet of scrapbook paper for $1.49.

The Family Drama (It’s Actually Sweet)

David Green has five kids, and they all work at Hobby Lobby. Seriously—the entire Green family runs the show like a very rich, very religious version of the Corleones, but with less violence and more silk flowers. His son Mart Green even opened the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., using family cash. That museum cost $500 million. Half a billion dollars to display stone tablets and old maps. As one visitor put it, “It’s like a Hobby Lobby where everything is history.”

Now, the Greens are famously evangelical Christians, and they don’t shy away from their beliefs. They sued the US government over contraception coverage in the Affordable Care Act—and won at the Supreme Court in 2014. Love them or hate them, you have to admit: David Green uses his money like a megaphone. And that megaphone is made of solid gold, probably.

When Was Hobby Lobby Founded at Margaret Cass blog

The Final “No, Really?” Fact

Here’s the kicker: David Green is 83 years old and still shows no signs of slowing down. He once said, “I’ll work until I die or until my wife tells me to stop.” Knowing his wife, she might have to pull the plug on the Hobby Lobby credit card.

So next time you’re wrestling with a cart full of fake ivy and a 60% off sign, remember: You are funding a billionaire’s bible collection. But hey, at least he’s not buying more glitter. Nobody can afford that much glitter. Not even David Green.

And that, my friend, is how you turn a $600 loan into a $12 billion empire—one silk flower at a time.