RJ Scaringe
Robert Joseph Scaringe | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 19, 1983 Melbourne, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Rivian |
Robert Joseph Scaringe (born January 19, 1983) is an American engineer and ex-billionaire who established and leads the electric vehicle company Rivian as its chief executive officer (CEO).
Early life
Born on January 19, 1983, Robert Joseph Scaringe is the son of Robert Scaringe, an engineer and founder of Mainstream Engineering Corporation. Initially passionate about automobiles, he spent time restoring cars before redirecting his efforts toward creating eco-friendly transportation solutions after becoming aware of the environmental consequences of conventional vehicles.
He was raised in Melbourne, Florida and completed his secondary education at Melbourne Central Catholic High School. Scaringe obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, then pursued both a master's and doctoral degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), concentrating his studies at MIT's Sloan Automotive Lab.
Career
In 2009, Scaringe returned to Rockledge, Florida and launched Mainstream Motors as a one-person operation. The enterprise was renamed Rivian Automotive in 2011.
Rivian made its public debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange in November 2021.
As chairman of the board, Scaringe holds 9.5% of the voting rights and possesses veto authority through his complete ownership of the company's class B shares. His total stake in Rivian amounts to roughly 1.4%.
Personal life
In August 2014, Scaringe married Meagan McGone in Michigan, with whom he has three children. In 2019, he mentioned that his entrepreneurial duties allowed him only about 5% of his time for family. The couple divorced in 2025.
Forbes estimated Scaringe's net worth at $3.4 billion in April 2021; however, by March 2022, he had lost billionaire status following a drop in Rivian's stock price.