Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s only one way we can ever describe the subject of HBO’s ‘The Dark Wizard’ Dean Spaulding Potter, it would have to be as a blend of brilliant, controversial, gifted, and troubled. That’s because while he broke glass ceilings as an alpinist, a building, antenna, span, and earth jumper (BASE jumper), a free climber, and a highliner, he also often disregarded rules. Nevertheless, his passion for the outdoors remained unquestionable even after he sadly lost his life at age 43 on May 16, 2015, during a wingsuit flying accident in Yosemite National Park.
How Did Dean Potter Earn His Money?
Although born on April 14, 1972, into a military family at the hospital at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Dean Potter primarily grew up in New Hampshire, also known as The White Mountain State. It was there, while he was in the 10th grade, that he first developed a passion for climbing, only for it to continue expanding in the most adventurous and ambitious ways as the years passed. He had no idea at the time he would want to pursue it as a career, but the varsity crew rower dropped out of the University of New Hampshire the moment he realized his calling was in the wild.
Dean reportedly started small to get a taste of the climbing world in a professional sense, but he exploded in 1999 when he did a solo trip of the northwest face of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley. He actually finished in 4 hours 17 minutes, nearly 16 hours faster than anyone had ever completed the 2,200-foot ascent before, resulting in his making his mark among peers for sponsors. A year later, he proved his mettle again by soloing Half Dome and El Capitan in a single day before being a part of a team race to cross the big wall route of El Capitan known as The Nose in 2001.
Dean was unwaveringly brave in all his ascents, but one of his most significant achievements was pioneering a route called Easy Rider on a small section of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. He even soloed the legendary 1,600-meter (5,000-foot) alpine climbing route, the Supercanaleta, on the west face of Cerro Fitz Roy (Chaltén) in Patagonia, Argentina, at age 30 in 2002. He then conquered the Concepcion route on Day Canyon in Moab, Utah, in 2003, Heaven on Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley in 2006, and Southern Belle on Half Dome, Yosemite Valley in 2006.
Dean also climbed one of the hardest routes on El Capitan called The Reticent Wall in 34 hours and 57 minutes in July 2006 alongside two companions, breaking the record by at least 5 days. However, that same year, he also became involved in a significant controversy for his climb of the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, leading to him losing some sponsorships. He did not believe he had done anything illegal, yet there were long-standing rules regarding the same, as many locals have always viewed the Arch as a symbol of the state’s natural beauty.
According to records, as time passed, Dean reportedly began viewing himself more as an “aerialist” than a climber since he was doing much more than just following routes to peaks and valleys. In fact, in 2008, he completed the first Free BASE ascent of Deep Blue Sea on the north face of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, with Free BASE being a technique he essentially invented. Freebasing is a combination of free climbing without the assistance of ropes; instead, there is a BASE element as the climber has a parachute rig on their back that they can deploy if they fall.
We should also mention that Dean set a new speed record for his ascent of The Nose of El Capitan in November 2010 alongside Sean Leary, with them completing in 2 hours 36 minutes. As if that’s not enough, since the 2003 winner of the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year filmed a lot of his adventures, he often even made appearances in National Geographic films. Then, in 2014, he released his own documentary titled ‘When Dogs Fly,’ chronicling his endeavors with his beloved dog Whisper, which included climbing, highlining, and parachuting together.
Dean Potter’s Net Worth
With a professional career spanning over 23 years, Dean Spaulding Potter had likely managed to accumulate significant wealth for himself through his determination, hard work, and passion. But alas, he had no idea his exploits would be cut short on May 16, 2015, when he died attempting a proximity wingsuit flight from the Taft Point in Yosemite Valley alongside Graham Hunt. The route was one they had flown before, but he crashed after clearing a narrow gap, whereas the latter hit a side wall mid-flight. They both died on impact – they hadn’t even deployed their parachutes.
Coming to Dean’s finances at the time of his death, he reportedly made most of his money through sponsorships, partnerships with various brands, media appearances, and filmmaking. There were some major brands supporting his endeavors at every step, given his success not just within the climbing industry but also across the sporting world and the mainstream media in general. However, a few of them also dropped him along the way, including clothing brand Patagonia after his 2006 climb of Delicate Arch and Clif Bar in 2014, as they no longer felt comfortable being affiliated with the risky sports of BASE jumping and free soloing.
As per records, Dean also featured on several magazine covers over the years and had segments on climbing programs such as ‘Masters of Stone V,’ all of which positively affected his income. As for his assets, he purchased a beautiful 31-acre plot in Yosemite alongside his partner, former Patagonia Public Relations Director Jen Rapp, shortly before his death – they planned to build their dream home there. Thus, taking all these factors into consideration, along with any other potential investments, returns, and his professional expenses as an outdoorsman, we believe Dean’s net worth was $1.5 million at the time of his death.
Read More: Jen Rapp: Where is Dean Potter’s Ex-Partner and Girlfriend Now?
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