Chip Gaines

Known to fans of house-rehab TV the world over as the co-host of the popular series "Fixer Upper" (HGTV, 2013-), Chip Gaines was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After growing up in Dallas, Texas, Gaines attended Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, majoring in marketing. He had a drive for entrepreneurship that would inspire him to found multiple small businesses, including a laundry service, a fireworks stand, and multiple landscaping companies. After meeting and marrying his wife and later co-host on "Fixer Upper" Joanna, the two began collaborating on the company that would become Magnolia. The business offered historic home restoration and realty as well as an extensive retail branch selling everything from home decor to lifestyle products. But the early days of the Gaines' marriage were often financially strained, with serious debt following them even throughout the births of their four children. The stress was only made harder by Gaines' own absent mindedness, as he admits to giving Joanna a considerable scare on at least three occasions by leaving their infant son at home for stretches as long as thirty minutes. The new father eventually became less easily distracted however, and the couple's hard work on Magnolia paid off, with the company becoming a considerable success, and the pair finding their way into the spotlight on "Fixer Upper." In 2016, they published a book together about their experiences, Magnolia Story.