What is Ryan Villopoto's Net Worth?
Ryan Villopoto is an American motorcycle racer who has a net worth of $10 million. Ryan Villopoto is best known for his several Motocross and Supercross wins, as well as his partnerships with Kawasaki and Monster Energy. Although he retired in 2015, Ryan remains heavily involved in the racing community and is interested in coaching.
Early Life
Ryan Daniel Villopoto was born on August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California, the son of Dan Villopoto.
At the age of 18, Ryan made his Motocross Des Nations debut, winning the MX2 class and securing his first Des Nations victory. He performed favorably for the next two years but took a three-year break between 2008 and 2011 to accommodate an injury he had sustained.
Ryan has claimed that as he got deeper into professional racing as a young man, the stress of it resulted in a major family rift. During an interview with Rick Doughty for the Ride To Rumination series, he was asked what advice he would give to the parents of a child who wanted to enter the world of professional racing. Ryan told the interviewer that, among other things, it was essential to put in writing how much money everyone involved was going to receive. "If I can help people avoid the kind of hurt and division that it caused my family, I want to speak out," he said.
Ryan described how his career and passion caused hurt and division in his family when his dream was made into a financial issue that had the two sides retaining attorneys. He and members of his family didn't speak to each other for several years afterward. Ryan was able to reconcile with his father and spent six weeks with him before Dan's sudden passing following a massive heart attack on November 11, 2018. While they were together, Dan was helping Ryan train for upcoming races overseas. After Dan's passing, Ryan wrote on Instagram concerning their final weeks together, "For the first time in a long time, it was real again, like when I was young."
Supercross & Motocross Career
In 2003, Ryan Villopoto was picked up by Kawasaki's Team Green program, allowing him to transition into the professional circuit seamlessly. He was offered a placement with Yamaha but ultimately turned down due to his father's guidance. The team allowed him to use bike parts, gave him a part-time allowance, and offered money to help with transportation fees once Ryan started traveling for races.
He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 through 2014 and won the Motocross Des Nations competitions in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011.
Ryan's 2010 Motocross season was notable due to sustained injuries. During the Main of Round 14 in St. Louis, Missouri, he failed to complete a triple jump and landed hard against the ground. The bike flipped several times, and Ryan was eventually ejected, prompting emergency services to be called. When medical workers arrived on the scene, they cut off his racing boot, revealing that he had broken his right tibia and fibula. After being removed from the track, he underwent surgery to stabilize his leg. He subsequently withdrew from the 2010 season, ending with 66 championship points. By the season's end, he placed fourth.
The following year, Ryan made a successful comeback and won his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. He also won his series-high six races throughout the entire season and the Monster Energy Cup, which he achieved after winning the three heats. More awards followed, and in 2011, he won the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. In 2012, he captured the title with four rounds remaining in his second AMA Supercross Championship, resulting in a win.
In 2014, Ryan won the 450cc Final at Daytona International Speedway, marking his fourth career win at Daytona. In April of the same year, he won the 450cc Main Event in Houston. The year was considered one of his most successful, marking 40 Supercross All-Time wins in his career.
Ryan attempted to compete in the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. He ended up placing first in the second race in Thailand. Still, he ultimately withdrew from the competition after realizing that the multiple tailbone fractures he had sustained from a crash during the Trentino GP were a lot more serious than initially assumed. As a result, he announced his retirement from motorcycle racing in July of that year. By the end of his career, he had won 11 Championships.
Despite his retirement, Ryan still collects and rides motorcycles recreationally and shares updates through his public Facebook page. He also retains partnerships with Yamaha, Monster, Alpinestars, Canvas, Oakley, Mobius, Dunlop, and the Pro Circuit.
(Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
Personal Life
Ryan Villopoto married Kristen Brouillard on October 1, 2011, in Laguna Beach, California. Kristen worked for the P.R. firm that Kawasaki had hired to cover the Supercross teams in the Pro Circuit, where she and Ryan later met. According to Ryan, the two "hung out" for a year before they began dating.
The couple has twin sons, Gage and Brax. In interviews, Ryan and Kristen have shared that they are raising their children traditionally, without screen time, such as iPad usage. The family currently lives in Newport Beach, although Ryan has said that his dream is to move his family to Montana or Idaho, somewhere that aligns with "family values." Both of his children were presented with bikes, and he's said that he would be supportive if they chose to race, although he wouldn't push them into it if they happened to have alternative interests. In 2024, his sons became fourth-generation motocross drivers.
After announcing his retirement from racing, Ryan moved his family to Washington for two years before returning to California.
Ryan has several tattoos. One on his arm reads, "No shortcuts," and another states, "Never let weakness convince you that you lack strength." Additional tattoos include pictures of his grandfather racing, birth flowers for his children, and a compass with the coordinates of the location where he and his wife got married.
Ryan sells a line of his own merchandise for racing fans and frequently has "limited edition drops" that he announces on Facebook. His merchandise is mainly comprised of shirts and sweatshirts featuring his name and various graphics. Aside from racing, he enjoys fishing. He's also expressed an interest in becoming a Motocross coach.
