Steve Glew Net Worth: How Rich is the Pez Outlaw Actually?

Steve Glew is an American machine operator who is best known for smuggling rare Pez dispensers from Eastern Europe to the United States. He made $4.5 million in 11 years by selling the dispensers on the black market. As of 2023, Steve Glew net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million.

Who is Steve Glew?

Steve Glew is a dispenser smuggler who worked as a machine operator in the 1990s. He made around $4.5 million smuggling the hard candy dispensers into the United States. Glew has been featured in the Netflix documentary, The Pez Outlaw, which premiered on January 19.

The documentary centers around Steve Glew who found a way to make a million dollars by selling knock-off Pez dispensers in the United States. Steve Glew was born in the early 1950s in DeWitt, Michigan. He had a difficult childhood as his family had limited resources and chances of growth.

Steve Glew Net Worth & Career

Glew, as a teenager, struggled with alcohol and drug abuse for several years. To overcome poverty, he wanted to find a steady job. In the 1990s, he worked as a machine operator. He also earned some extra income by operating a side business.

At an earlier stage of his life, he looked through trash at a recycling plant and collected cereal boxes. Thereafter, he would cut out the coupons that were printed on the boxes. Along with that, he would also collect the toys that were given by the cereal companies. In fact, he stored away thousand of such toys that he would later sell to collectors and local fairs.

Glew eventually met a man in 1992 who was selling PEZ dispensers. By selling the dispensers, he was making a considerable profit. Glew later decided that he could also source the dispensers from a Slovenian warehouse. In 1994, he used $4,000 of his savings and went to Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Steve took an initial step and befriend security guards whom he bribed to access the warehouse. Then, he started smuggling back PE dispensers in bulk from Eastern Europe to the United States. Later, he would sell the dispensers at PEZ conventions and collectors.

Glew eventually earned a vast amount of profits over the next 11 years through his small investment. Thereafter, he continued traveling almost every month to Eastern Europe with around $10,000 in hand. Glew then returned with 10,000 PEZ dispensers.

Steve would receive great prices as the items include rare models, new prototypes, and ones that were discontinued in the United States. He was selling a dispenser for $5 that he had bought for 27 cents. Moreover, he was getting between $25 to $1000 for selling the discontinued models, and new prototypes. In 11 years, he smuggled a total of 2 million PEZ dispensers and accumulated around $4.5 million.

Glew hired six staff members in 1998 and made around $750,000. Afterward, he struck a lucrative deal with a reputable European executive from PEZ Candy Inc. and started sourcing liquidated dispensers from a Hungarian warehouse.

Steve came up with a new plan after PEZ Candy Inc. began cracking down on the US black market. He also designed 18 new prototypes of PEZ dispensers. Later, he remortgaged his house and raised $250,000. He also took a loan and collaborated with a toy broker. With that amount, he made PEZ Candy Inc. To manufacture his prototypes.

Glew was able to turn his investment into $2.5 million by selling the PEZ dispensers at $25 a piece. However, his business started crashing down when PEZ Candy replicated his prototypes and provided them at the market at a much cheaper price. Even though, he reduced his prices the Candy PEZ outdid his sales.

Thereafter, he was left with a considerable debt amounting to $250,000. He could not find a single buyer despite having several boxes full of brand-new PEZ dispensers. In 2010, he started writing a blog about his life using his alter ego, The Pez Outlaw. After a year, he provided it on eBay offering book rights and movies for $750,000.

Glew was later contacted by Warner Bros to make a movie on his life story. However, the deal didn’t work out. Then, he was contacted by Netflix for the documentary. After announcing the documentary, he designed a new candy dispenser with the character heads based on his alter-ego, The Pez Outlaw.

Later, a Texas-based 3D printing company manufactured various funky avatars resembling Steve and priced them at $30 apiece. Netflix dropped a documentary titled “The Pez Outlaw” on January 19. The documentary has reached the top 10 areas at Number 6 falling just behind Glass Onion: A Knives Out Film.

Steve Glew’s Wife & Personal Life

Steve Glew is reportedly a married man who tied the knot with his wife, Kathy Glew. He is still yet to provide more information about his personal life. Glew shares two kids with Kathy. His eldest son’s name is Jousha.

Steve is available on Instagram under the user name, pezoutlaw, where he has 398 followers. He shared his recent Instagram post on January 25 with the caption “Amy n Bryan Storkel just told me that The Pez Outlaw is now #6 I take it on all of Netflix”.

Steve Glew Net Worth

Steve Glew has earned an estimated net worth of $1.5 million as of 2023. He claimed that he has charged a nominal fee for the Netflix documentary. Following the documentary’s hype, he might receive parts of the royalties. Glew also raised the prices of his new dispensers after the success of the Netflix documentary.