RJ Scaringe

Robert Joseph Scaringe (born January 19, 1983) is an American engineer and former billionaire.^[3] He is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian.^[4]

RJ Scaringe
Scaringe in 2018
Born	(1983-01-19) January 19, 1983 (age 42) Rockledge, Florida, U.S.
Education	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS, PhD) [1][2]
Occupation	Engineer
Title	CEO of Rivian Automotive, Inc.
Spouse	Meagan McGone ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2025)​
Children	3

Early life

Robert Joseph Scaringe was born on January 19, 1983.^[5] His father, also named Robert Scaringe, is an engineer and founder of Mainstream Engineering Corporation.^[6] Scaringe grew up a car enthusiast, restoring them in his neighbor's garage. After learning of the great negative environmental effects of cars, however, he decided to focus his life on creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation system.^[7]

Scaringe grew up in Melbourne, Florida.^[8] He attended Melbourne Central Catholic High School.^[9] Scaringe received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He then received a master's degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and went on to also receive a doctorate in mechanical engineering at MIT's Sloan Automotive Lab.^[10][11]

Career

Scaringe returned to Rockledge, Florida, and founded Mainstream Motors in the year of 2009 as the sole employee. The name of the company changed to Rivian Automotive in 2011.^[12][13]

In November 2021, Rivian went public, listing its shares on the Nasdaq.^[14]

Scaringe is chairman of the board and has 9.5% voting power. Additionally, he has veto power over board decisions due to his 100% ownership of the company's class B shares.^[15] In total, Scaringe owns about 1.4% of Rivian.^[16]

Personal life

Scaringe married Meagan McGone in Michigan in August 2014. The couple has three children together.^[17] Scaringe stated in 2019 that due to his responsibilities as a start-up founder, he spends approximately 5% of his time with his wife and children.^[18] Scaringe and McGone divorced in 2025.^[19]

According to Forbes, Scaringe's net worth was estimated at $3.4 billion as of April 2021, but he lost his billionaire status in March 2022 due to Rivian's declining share value.^[16][20]