Skip to Content

Gordon Thornton Net Worth $100 Million

What Is Gordon Thornton’s Net Worth?

Gordon Thornton is an entrepreneur from North Carolina who has a net worth of $100 million. Until he hit screens on the reality TV mega-series, The Real Housewives of Potomac, Gordon Thornton was known for his involvement in a different type of franchise—McDonalds.

The business savvy Thornton owned and operated several McDonald’s fast-food restaurants starting in the early 90s, before branching out into healthcare.

Eventually, he joined his wife—the RHOP star Mia Thornton—on the hit Bravo show.

So why is Gordon Thornton suddenly on reality TV fans’ radar—and what do we know about him? Read on to find out.

The Origin Story

Gordon Thornton was born on March 18, 1954, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

He has a younger brother named Marvin, who is a military veteran and resident of Maryland.

The NC native moved between Elizabeth City and Charlotte over the years.

Wife

Gordon may be most well known as the husband of Mia Thornton, but his first marriage was to another North Carolina girl, Deborah Poole.

@Getty

He and Poole were married in the early ’80s and welcomed their first daughter—Debrecia Fonville (nee Thornton)—in the early ’90s.

They had more children together, and Gordon is now a grandfather—by 2020, he had two adult grandchildren heading for college, and two still in grade school.

Following his divorce from Deborah, Gordon met Mia Nicole Fields in 2003.

The outgoing twosome met in a strip club, of all places.

Both Gordon and Mia were involved in a fundraiser for Haiti, and the fundraiser’s organizer was running an event from the club.

Mia explained years later that, “one of the founders of the organization, she worked there. They serve steak dinners and [the proceeds] went to charity.”

Mia already had a child named Sasha from her previous marriage when she and Gordon decided to get serious.

The pair dated exclusively for 9 years, before tying the knot on May 5, 2012.

Since their marriage, Mia and Gordon have had three children together: Jeremiah, who was born on June 20, 2015, Juliana, born in July 2017, and Joshua, born in 2018.

A Rising Franchise Star

Mia Thornton and Husband Gordon Thornton

@Getty

Thornton, who celebrated his 68th birthday in 2022, had his own career long before his foray into the reality TV universe.

He purchased the first of several McDonald’s franchises in 1993, gradually expanding his fast-food empire before he’d even turned 40.

After turning a considerable profit as a franchisee, he branched out into the massage therapy industry.

By 2011 he owned multiple Massage Envy franchises in the US.

He sold up his McDonald’s stores in 2012, with a new challenge in mind—chiropractic care.

He became CEO of Giselle Executive Management DBA, buying up The Joint Chiropractic franchises.

Thornton—and his brother, Marvin—expanded their business and owned eight chiropractic clinics across the Washington, D.C., area.

In an interview, Gordon—who has been credited as being one of the most successful franchise owners in the company’s history—stated that he wants to own 30 clinics over the next few years.

There was a more personal driver behind Thornton’s move into chiropractic care, though.

He shared with fans that it was watching how chiropractic helped his wife treat her own pain issues that pushed him into the arena. “It’s hard not to be passionate,” he said, when asked about the impact chiropractic has on people’s lives.

Welcome to the Good Life

Gordon’s wife gave Bravo a tour of the home she shares with Thornton and three of their children.

The house—which is furnished in neutral tones—was “very plain,” according to Mia.

Mia explained that she and her husband don’t like a lot of colors.

The couple might like plain décor, but they know how to spice up their home life in other ways.

A date-night jar takes pride of place in their bedroom, as well as a framed love letter that Gordon wrote to his beloved back in the early 2000s.

READ MORE: Rory Teasley Net Worth

Welcome to the Club

The RHOP clique may be a hard one to break into, but Gordon Thornton has won over some of the wives with record speed.

Despite a rocky start—Thornton surprised his wife with a custom G-Wagon before snapping at her and dismissing her excitement—he’s still managed to win some hearts.

Karen Huger, in particular, said that she loved “everything” about Thornton.

She called the businessman and outspoken go-getter a force to be reckoned with and claimed to like his energy. “I love his personality, I love his honesty. That makes him exciting.”

Bipolar 1 Diagnosis

In April 2024, Gordon revealed in 2021, he was diagnosed with Bipolar 1.

Net Worth

So, how much is Gordon Thornton worth? Thornton earned most of his wealth from owning several McDonald’s fast-food restaurants and serving as the CEO of Giselle Executive Management DBA. Therefore, Gordon Thornton has an estimated net worth of $100 million.

READ THIS NEXT: Who is Harshad Dharod’s wife?