RJ Scaringe Biography, CEO of Rivian Automotive

RJ Scaringe

Rivian Company revenue: US$1.66bn*
Net worth: approx. US$3.4bn*

Robert “RJ” Scaringe is an American entrepreneur and engineer.
He is the founder and CEO of Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer.
Scaringe’s net worth is estimated to be around US$1.7 billion as of December 2021.
He was born on January 19, 1983, and grew up in Melbourne, Florida.
Scaringe’s father, also named Robert Scaringe, is an engineer and founder of Mainstream Engineering Corporation.
He developed a passion for cars and used to restore them in his neighbor’s garage.
However, after learning about the negative environmental impact of cars, he decided to focus on creating a more sustainable transportation system.
Scaringe attended Melbourne Central Catholic High School and later pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He furthered his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he obtained a master’s degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from MIT’s Sloan Automotive Lab.
Scaringe married Meagan McGone in 2014, and they have three children together.
In 2009, Scaringe founded Mainstream Motors, which later became Rivian Automotive in 2011.
Rivian went public on November 10, 2021, and Scaringe holds the position of chairman of the board with 9.5% voting power.
He also has complete veto power over board decisions due to his ownership of the company’s class B shares.
Scaringe currently owns about 1.4% of Rivian.

RJ Scaringe, born in 1983 in Rockledge, Florida, had a passion for classic cars and a dream of starting his own vehicle brand by age eighteen. Working at a Porsche restoration shop in Florida fueled his love for cars. However, starting a new car company seemed unlikely, as the last successful American automotive start-up was Chrysler in 1925, before Tesla.

RJ Scaringe, founder of Rivian Automotive, created the company in 2009 with the goal of making eco-friendly electric vehicles that are tough and efficient. Originally called Mainstream Motors, Rivian shifted its focus to developing technology-focused vehicles for the truck, SUV, and crossover markets.

They emphasize manufacturing and have partnered with Ford Motors and Amazon. RJ Scaringe’s strategy changed in 2012 to showcase finished products, leading to the unveiling of the R1S SUV and R1T truck in 2018.

Rivian has caught the attention of investors worldwide with its innovative use of technology in the automotive industry.
The company, led by Robert Scaringe, has raised over $3.1 billion in funding.
With a team of over 1000 employees and a decade of experience, Rivian is ready to launch sales of their first electric and semi-autonomous pickup-truck model by the end of 2020.

Rivian is also working on battery cells and driver assistance systems. RJ Scaringe prefers to stay out of the spotlight, but his reputation is crucial to Rivian’s success.

Personal life

RJ Scaringe is married to Meagan Scaringe and they have three children.
The family divides their time between Irvine, California (Rivian’s headquarters), and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois (Rivian’s main manufacturing plant).
RJ Scaringe devotes almost 100 percent of his life to Rivian, with his family receiving only around 5 percent of his attention.
Despite his busy schedule, the family frequently travels together, particularly because RJ Scaringe enjoys outdoor adventures.

Under RJ Scaringe leadership, Rivian has developed electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and energy technology. The R1T was named MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year in 2022. Rivian’s IPO in 2021 was the world’s largest and the 12th largest in history. They fulfilled Amazon’s order for 100,000 electric delivery vans. RJ established Forever, a philanthropic mission, contributing 1% of Rivian’s pre-IPO equity to address the climate crisis.

RJ believes in collaboration to build a better world for future generations, inspired by his three children.

Latest Event:

CEO RJ Scaringe highlighted the R2’s importance in targeting the midsized SUV segment with limited EV options beyond Tesla.

Rivian’s shares rose over 2% after the R2 SUV received 68,000 reservations at launch.
Priced at $45,000, the R2 SUV has sparked optimism for Rivian’s mass-market growth.
By producing the R2 at its current U.S. factory and halting construction in Georgia, Rivian aims to save costs and delay fundraising.
Pausing the Georgia plant will save over $2.25 billion and speed up R2 deliveries to early 2026.