As one of the most talked-about figures, Pat Smear has built a significant fortune. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Is Pat Smear's Net Worth?

As teenagers in 1976, Smear and Crash formed the Germs along with bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Dottie Danger. At the time, Smear was the only band member who had any musical knowledge or proficiency. He had been listening to musicians like Joan Jett, Brian James,Brian May, Steven Jones,Steve Howe, and John McKay while becoming more and more proficient on the guitar. However, for much of his time playing with the Germs, he did not actually own a guitar but rather just borrowed instruments from whomever he was playing with.

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Pat Smear is an American musician who has a net worth of $45 million. Pat Smear is best known for being the guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters. He was also a founding member of the punk band the Germs and played with Nirvana.

In 1993, Smear received a call from Nirvana frontmanKurt Cobain. Cobain asked Smear to join the band as a second guitarist for an upcoming tour. Pat accepted the gig immediately and played his first show with Nirvana on "Saturday Night Live" in September of that year. He then toured with Nirvana for six months. He can be heard playing on their live albums "MTV Unplugged in New York" and "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah." He also contributed to material on the compilations "Nirvana" and "With the Lights Out."

Pat Smear was born Georg Albert Ruthenberg on August 5, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. His mother heritage is African-American and Native American, and his father is a German Jewish immigrant. At a young age, Pat began playing the piano and then taught himself the guitar a few years later. He was raised in a religious household and considered himself religious before becoming a professional musician. When he was 13 years old, Smear left home to join a commune. He later attended Innovative Program School, an alternate school within University High School in Los Angeles. While there, he met Darby Crash, his future bandmate in the Germs. Both Smear and Crash were expelled from IPS due to concerns they were responsible for inciting unruly behavior among the students.

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Smear formed the Germs with Lorna Doom, Darby Crash, andBelinda Carlislein 1977. Their debut album was produced byJoan Jettin 1979 and is looked at as a milestone in the history of punk rock music. Smear released the solo albums "Ruthensmear" in 1987 and "So You Fell in Love with a Musician…" in 1992. He played on the Nirvana albums "MTV Unplugged in New York," "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah," "Nirvana," and "With the Lights Out." Pat has also played on many Foo Fighters albums. He was a member of Foo Fighters from 1994 to 1997, rejoined in 2005, then became a full-time member in 2010. In April 2014, he performed Nirvana songs when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Danger was soon replaced by Don Bolles, and in 1979, the Germs released their first album, "GI." It was produced by Joan Jett. The album is now recorded by many as a milestone in the history of punk rock. Smear, in particular, has been highly praised for his guitar work on the record. The band appeared in the 1981 punk documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization" by directorPenelope Spheeris. By the time the documentary was released, the Germs had already broken up following the death of Crash in December 1980.

After the Germs broke up, Pat played in the band Twisted Roots. The short-lived band was very popular in the Hollywood punk scene. He would then go on to play withNina Hagenand make two solo albums – "Ruthensmear" and "So You Fell in Love with a Musician." He also briefly played with the punk band the Adolescents and the deathrock band 45 Grave in 1981. Additionally, he tried his hand at acting around this time, landing various bit parts in shows and films like "Quincy, M.E.," "Blade Runner," and "Howard the Duck."

Ultimately, Pat Smear's financial journey is a testament to their success.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.