A single viral mugshot turned Jeremy Meeks from an unknown forklift operator into a global headline. Dubbed the “world’s hottest felon,” he’s since become a model, actor, entrepreneur, and author with an estimated net worth of $5 million—one of the internet’s most unlikely success stories.

It began in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his booking photo on Facebook after a felony weapon charge arrest. His striking features made the photo go viral overnight. Meeks, born in 1984 to parents who struggled with addiction, had faced his first felony conviction at 18 and received a 27-month sentence for the 2014 arrest.After his 2016 release, he signed with White Cross Management, modeling for brands like Philipp Plein and Tommy Hilfiger before moving into acting and launching his own fashion line.Now 41, Meeks added “author” to his résumé with his 2024 memoir, Model Citizen, chronicling his journey from incarceration to international fame. A devoted father of two, he says his current focus is personal growth and fatherhood—proof that reinvention can follow even the most unlikely beginnings.