American incarcerated criminal and former zoo operator, who owned and ran the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma. He claimed to be the most prolific breeder of tigers in the United States. He twice unsuccessfully ran for public office in 2016 and 2018, first for President of the United States and then for Governor of Oklahoma.
He has also been known by the names The Tiger King, Aarron Alex or Cody Ryan. He operated an online reality TV show that he streamed from his zoo. Over the years, he operated sideshows around the country where he allowed people to pet tiger cubs. He also staged shows at fairs and in shopping malls.
Exotic was an aspiring country singer and he had several albums recorded and then made music videos to make it seem as if he was playing and singing. All of music on the Joe Exotic albums was apparently written and performed by other artists.
In 2019, Exotic was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse (eight violations of the Lacey Act and nine of the Endangered Species Act) and two counts of murder for hire, for a plot to kill Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. He is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison.
In 2020, Netflix released a 7-part documentary, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, focused on Exotic, his zoo, and his feud with Baskin. He had previously appeared in the Louis Theroux documentary America’s Most Dangerous Pets.
On 17 March 2020, Exotic filed a lawsuit against the United States federal government at the Grady County Jail. In the lawsuit, he asks for $94 million from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). He is also seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, and plans to represent himself in the lawsuit. The lawsuit specifies damages by the USFWS of $79 million for the loss of his tigers. He also demands $15 million for false imprisonment and a litany of other charges including the death of his mother, Shirley. The lawsuit also accuses his former business partner, Jeff Lowe, of switching his medicine with illegal drugs and ruining his property.
Exotic’s legal name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage. He is openly gay. He has had four husbands.
Link to Wikipedia biography