Joe Rogan’s Texan Turn: The Motivations Behind the Move

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Joe Rogan has been entertaining America for many years, whether on Fear Factor, announcing for UFC, or captivating the country with his hit podcast. With such a level of fame, it is a genuine wonder why he is in Texas, of all places. 

Joe Rogan has been a fascinating show on America’s stage. He has been hosting shows and saying strange things for decades. Of course, we assume people like that are hunkered down in New York, LA, or Hollywood, but not Joe Rogan. 

Rogan has found himself in Texas after landing his Spotify deal, discovering an interest in hunting, dealing with the pandemic, and feeling an increased need for freedom. 

Joe Rogan on Steven Crowders Louder With Crowder in 2017 - Texas View

Why Did Joe Rogan Move to Texas?

In November 2020, Joe had had enough of the crowded California lifestyle, and that is when he made the twelve-hundred-mile move from LA to Texas.

He touched on a few aspects of his move on his July 23rd podcast and clarified some issues motivating his move. He directly communicated the desire for fewer crowds and more freedom.

The Rogan – Spotify Deal

If you don’t know, Joe Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify for his podcast. In May 2020, Joe Rogan signed an exclusive contract with Spotify, stating that his show would exist exclusively on their platform. At that time, the value of his podcast was roughly 100 Million. 

COVID-19 Concerns

When discussing his move to Texas on his podcast, he speaks to concerns about COVID-19. He expressed his opinion that the higher cases had to do with a higher population. LA County had 147,000 COVID cases and counting in mid-July. 

While in early July, Austin had around 8,000 cases. So, it makes sense Joe wanted to move his family to a safer area with fewer cases. 

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Taxes

What could easily be inferred to support Joe Rogan’s move comes on the coattails of his deal with Spotify. The deal gave him quite the increase in income. Unfortunately, with a higher income comes higher income taxes. 

In California, the average income tax is roughly 13.3%. Texas doesn’t have a State Income tax. Taking home more money supports that freedom he was looking for, so it made sense for him to move there when he did. 

Comedy

What you may not know about Rogan, if you aren’t a podcast listener, is his passion for stand-up comedy. Rogan also touches on his love of comedy in his July 23rd podcast for motivation for his move. 

Austin is a city passionate about its stand-up comics and comedy clubs. Austin hosts the MoonTower Comedy and Oddity Festival every year, along with the Austin Sketch Fest and many more. 

Additionally, comedy clubs are a commonly enjoyed setting amongst Austin natives and tourists. With so many comedy clubs around, it offers Rogan the opportunity to easily get on line ups and offer his stand-up comedy to clubgoers. 

Joe Rogan at the VH1 Big in 2002 Awards Press Room Grand Olympic Auditorium Los Angeles CA 12 04 02 - Texas View

Business Opportunity  

It has been rumored that Joe Rogan is an entrepreneur in Austin. He is working on opening his own comedy club. The location for his new club is on the historic Sixth Street in Austin. He hopes to have his own comedy club there after renovations and renaming. 

While these are rumors and mainly tied to his business manager, Matthew Lichtenberg, it would seem that opening a comedy club would be a far more lucrative venture in Austin than in LA, which is saturated with comedy clubs. 

Recreation

Not that LA isn’t a good time, but it does seem it may lose its shine if you’re a 50-year-old family man. Being married with three children, it is understandable your interests may change.

So, if you have listened to even a single episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, you would know he is a fan of meat and hunting – much more fitting of a Texan lifestyle.

Rogan picked up the sport of hunting in 2012 and attended his first hunt with friend and frequent podcast guest, Steven Rinella, who also hosts Netflix’s show, Meat Eater. Joe Rogan became an instant fan of the sport and frequently discusses this passion for fresh meat on his podcast. 

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Like many areas of Texas, Austin provides a much more vast and varied hunting experience. Hunters can enter a drawing to hunt for animals such as White Tail Deer, Wild Boar, Alligators, Quail, Goose, and many more. 

It provides the appropriate environment for hunting and a suitable climate for being allowed to do so. Long-time listeners of JRE can see how Rogan’s interest has grown through the years, which seems to be a decent reason for him to be in Texas. 

Successes

Rogan is often seen as controversial and somewhat provocative when discussing specific topics and issues on his show. Perhaps this is part of why Rogan has been wildly successful in hosting his podcast over the years.

Even though Spotify does not release average monthly listeners, Rogan has been on record stating he had gained 2 million subscribers. 

That said, Spotify has removed several of Rogan’s podcasts due to concerning content. Additionally, several episodes have COVID tags to mitigate controversial episodes better. Nevertheless, Rogan still maintains millions of listeners per month and massive popularity.

Rogan hosts a variety of guests that vary in expertise, status, and fame. Despite his move to Texas, he offers to fly in guests to be on his show, so he can still produce a successful podcast. 

Since his deal with Spotify in 2020, his income has jumped to $4 million yearly. As his success has continued to climb, his estimated net worth is now $190 million. 

References

Author Profile

Christian Linden is a seasoned writer and contributor at Texas View, specializing in topics that resonate with the Texan community. With over a decade of experience in journalism, Christian brings a wealth of knowledge in local politics, culture, and lifestyle. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Texas. When he's not writing, Christian enjoys spending weekends traveling across Texas with his family, exploring everything from bustling cities to serene landscapes.

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