When you search for Rick Perez net worth, you usually get a mess of different results. One minute you're looking at a recycling mogul in Houston, the next it's a veteran actor from Cobra Kai, and then suddenly you're reading about a high school basketball coach in Pennsylvania. It's confusing.
Honestly, the "Rick Perez" name is like the "John Smith" of the business and entertainment worlds. But if you’re looking for the heavy hitter—the one with the massive exit and the global footprint—you’re talking about Rick Perez, the founder of Avangard Innovative.
He’s the guy who turned trash into a literal goldmine long before "sustainability" was a corporate buzzword. While the internet likes to throw around random figures, getting to the bottom of his actual wealth requires looking at a massive 2022 acquisition and his current moves in the investment space.
The Waste Management Exit: A Game Changer
Most people tracking Rick Perez net worth miss the biggest catalyst: the 2022 deal with Waste Management (WM). For nearly thirty years, Perez built Avangard Innovative into a recycling beast. He didn't just pick up cardboard; he used AI and proprietary tech like "Sustayn" to help companies track their waste as a financial asset.
In late 2022, Waste Management acquired a controlling interest in Avangard’s post-consumer resin (PCR) business. While the exact private sale price wasn't splashed across a billboard, industry insiders note that WM committed to significant capital investments to scale the tech.
Perez didn't just walk away with a paycheck. He transitioned into the role of President and CEO of 1588 Ventures. This is where the "old money" meets "new tech" strategy comes into play. By offloading the capital-intensive recycling plants to a giant like WM, Perez kept the intellectual upside and the liquidity to pivot into high-growth investments.
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Breaking Down the Portfolio
It isn't just about one company. You’ve got to look at the diversity of his interests to understand the scale of his wealth.
- 1588 Ventures: This is his current vehicle. It’s a Houston-based firm that doesn't just stick to trash. They are looking at diverse industries, and usually, when a guy who built a 13-country empire starts an investment firm, he isn't playing with pocket change.
- Real Estate and Advisory: Perez sits on boards like the Houston Methodist Hospital Advisory Board. These aren't just vanity titles; they are hubs for high-level networking and real estate opportunities that often aren't public knowledge.
- The Technology Factor: He’s been called the "Steve Jobs of recycling." The software side of his business—the part that uses sensors to tell a company exactly how much money they're throwing away—retains massive value.
Rick Perez Net Worth: The Actor vs. The Mogul
We have to address the "other" Rick Perez because Google results often blend them together. Rick Perez, the actor known for Ozark and Cobra Kai, has had a very successful career. He's a veteran in the industry, and while his net worth is comfortably in the seven-figure range (estimated between $1 million and $5 million), it's a completely different bracket than the Houston entrepreneur.
Then there’s the Rick Perez who is the CEO of the Olivet Boys & Girls Club and a legendary basketball coach in Reading, PA. He’s a local hero, but his "worth" is measured more in community impact and a stable executive salary rather than corporate equity.
If you’re seeing a "net worth" figure of $50 million or $100 million+, you are almost certainly looking at the Houston-based Rick Perez. The sale of Avangard’s major assets to a multi-billion dollar corporation like Waste Management puts him in a category of wealth that most "celebrity" trackers can't accurately calculate because the details are held in private equity disclosures.
Why the Numbers Keep Changing in 2026
It's 2026, and the "circular economy" is no longer a niche market. It’s a trillion-dollar industry. Because Perez was an early mover, his early-stage investments in green tech have likely appreciated significantly.
Kinda crazy when you think about it. He started by seeing PET bottles in a landfill in Mexico in the 90s and wondering how to get them across the border. He was 22, had no compacting equipment, and barely knew the paperwork. Fast forward to now, and he's helping some of the biggest companies in the world meet their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.
Wealth at this level isn't just a pile of cash in a bank account. It’s "active" wealth. It’s tied up in:
- Equity in 1588 Ventures' portfolio companies.
- Residual interests from the Avangard/WM deal.
- High-end real estate holdings in the Houston metro area.
- Intellectual property royalties for recycling analytics.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake is looking for a single number. Net worth sites love to say "$15.5 million" or "$42 million" because it sounds precise. But for a private entrepreneur like Perez, those numbers are usually guesses based on old LinkedIn profiles or public SEC filings that only show a fraction of the story.
His wealth is likely much higher than the "celebrity" sites suggest, simply because the waste management industry is incredibly "sticky"—meaning once a company like WM buys your tech, the long-term value of those contracts and the brand you built is astronomical.
Actionable Insights for Tracking Executive Wealth
If you’re trying to calculate the Rick Perez net worth for a business study or out of curiosity, stop looking at "bio" sites. Instead, look at the industry multiples for "Waste and Recycling Services" and "Environmental Technology."
- Look at Exit Multiples: In 2022-2024, recycling tech firms were trading at 10x to 15x EBITDA.
- Check the Venture Space: Follow 1588 Ventures on business registries to see their recent acquisitions.
- Verify the Name: Make sure the "Rick Perez" you are looking at is the one based in Houston (formerly of Avangard Innovative) if you are looking for business-scale wealth.
Basically, Rick Perez has moved from being a "trash guy" to a "tech and investment guy." That transition is where the real money is. He’s a prime example of how an immigrant's perspective—seeing value where others see waste—can lead to a massive financial windfall and a lasting legacy in the green economy.
If you're following his career, keep an eye on his moves in the private equity space. That’s where the next big jump in his portfolio will likely come from, especially as global regulations on plastic and waste become even stricter this year.