TV's Wealthy Groom Surprises Friends

By Ben Fox Associated Press Writer Friday, Feb. 18, 2000; 8:42 p.m. EST

SAN DIEGO  "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?" captured the attention of millions of TV viewers, provoked disgust from women's groups and spawned office chatter around the country this week.

Back in San Diego, people who know the millionaire groom, Rick Rockwell, were howling with laughter and surprise.

"I thought, 'That's your millionaire? You've got to be joking,'" said Barbara Summers, the owner of a San Diego-area dating service who has known Rockwell since the early 1990s.

"He's a likable guy and he's funny, but we're all wondering, when did he become a millionaire? How did we miss that?"

Summers and her husband, Bob Horn, invited Rockwell to their wedding in 1995 and recalled that his present was a $25 gift certificate.

"He's known as one of these guys who has 50 cents left from his first communion dollar," said Horn, an Internet consultant and former San Diego Chargers linebacker.

Even Rockwell's mother said she didn't know he was so rich.

Rockwell, 42, is on his Caribbean honeymoon with his new bride, Darva Conger, a 34-year-old nurse and Gulf War veteran from Santa Monica, and couldn't be reached for comment. Fox TV checked out his finances and confirmed that he's worth "at least $2 million," and had $750,000 in the bank, a spokeswoman said Friday.

Rockwell, who was born Richard Balkey in Pittsburgh, told Fox he is a real estate developer.

From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he was a regular on the Southern California comedy club circuit and appeared on a comedy show on KFMB-TV as a geeky beach bum.

Steve Kelley, a comic and editorial cartoonist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, said Rockwell was not particularly popular with his colleagues on the circuit.

"The word on the street was that there was a little bit of everybody's act in Rick's act," Kelley said. "He would ... use jokes without attribution."

He also performed in a straight-to-video sequel to the movie "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" and was a finalist on the variety show "Star Search," according to Larry Himmel, a friend and reporter for KFMB-TV who cast Rockwell in the local comedy program.

"He was always on the fringe but was never on that level where you get on the 'Tonight Show,'" Himmel said.

Fox TV executives said they knew about his entertainment background and chose him in part because he was able to handle himself well on camera.

Rockwell has bought and sold several Southern California properties in recent years. The Union-Tribune reported Friday that he bought a home in La Jolla in 1993 for $270,000 and sold it last June for $580,000.

His house in Encinitas, outside San Diego, is no mansion  it's one story and 1,200 square feet.

Deborah Quilla, an art director for an advertising agency, said she dated Rockwell's roommate at the La Jolla house about four years ago. She recalls the house had a great view of the ocean but was spartan inside and outfitted with patio furniture.

"He was real, real stingy about everything," Quilla said.

Rockwell's mother, Joanne Balkey, said she had no idea her son was a millionaire.

"He doesn't live like a flamboyant millionaire," Balkey told the Canadian Press. "The last car I saw him drive was a Volkswagen."

Most of those interviewed said they are skeptical about Rockwell's motives for appearing on the show, saying it was probably a publicity stunt. But Rockwell's mother believes he was serious about the whole thing.

"From what he told me before the show," she told the Canadian Press, "he was of an age and ready (to marry) and maybe wanted to have a family."

-- Bamboozled Broad (@ .), February 18, 2000

Answers

She wasn't "bamboozled." If he has $2 million, then he's a millionaire. A cheap one, maybe, but authentic nonetheless.

Anyone dumb enough to marry a total stranger deserves whatever she gets.

OTOH -- who knows, maybe they'll be happy together. Stranger things have happened.

-- no I didn't (watch@the.show), February 18, 2000.

Were prenups part of the show? If not, then she is a millionaire too I guess.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

Next up: 'Who Wants to Divorce a Multimillionaire?' Now thats where the real money is at.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), February 18, 2000.

There were pre-nups.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), February 18, 2000.

I know someone who married just for money. When I bumped in to her a couple of years ago, I asked her how things were faring, she said, "Trust me. It doesn't come easy...I'm earning every penny he gives me."

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), February 19, 2000.

Living cheap is the recipe for becoming a millionaire.I know some who live like millionaires but are underwater deeply, and about to become more so.I applaud Rick for selling the expensive house and living in the cheap one.VW's are great cars. Ricks ego does not have the best of him.I congratulate him.He will be a survivor of whats coming.

-- John Schade (jschade369@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

My personal opinion is that the two probably deserve each other. You know she only went into the marriage with $ signs in her eyes...

-- Phil (pprefont18@hotmail.com), February 19, 2000.

It obviously appears to the average viewer she married for money. However, it was confirmed she signed a prenup. Very strange indeed. Did anyone think the groom resembled Quentin Tarantino?

-- NoJo (RSKeiper@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

CONCUR, CONCUR, CONCUR, John!!!

I know of several "wannabes" who've leveraged themselves up to the eybeballs, trying to keep up appearances. Scary debt-to-equity ratios that I couldn't stomach.

Work your butt off, scrimp 'n save, but give yourself a few pleasures now and then. If you want a german luxocar, buy used...but have a good mechanic inspect it first. If you want a nice house, buy the worst house in the best neighborhood, or look for distress properties that can go for pennies on the dollar. You'll do a lot of pavement pounding which may take months, but you'll be grinning knowing how much money you'll save and sleep better at night, knowing that you're liquid, not scampering that time every month, living paycheck to paycheck :-)

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), February 19, 2000.

"His house in Encinitas, outside San Diego, is no mansion, it's one story and 1,200 square feet. "

Being very familiar with that area, a 1200 sq ft house there would be worth a few hundred thousand.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), February 19, 2000.

Was this show a one-time deal or is it a weekly spectacle?

-- zooper (scared@of.spam), February 19, 2000.

LOL I agree with Ra......strange? I will quote from my mother who always said...."Marry for money and you earn every penny of it". I too wondered about pre-nups. Still the idea of marrying a complete stranger is something I will never understand. Our local paper is slamming the show because he was able to sit behind a screen and pick a woman. Said some pretty honest things. They strutted around half naked, wearing clunky shoes with bikini's basically indicating these woman 'sold' themselves before all america. I watched it out though. Made for an unbelievable evening...As for me, I took mom's advice and am happily married for 7 yrs and to a blue collar worker...Who is the greatest....

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

My momma told me you need to dat a few dangerous men in your life, but you would not wanna marry one. She didn't say anything aobut money though.

-- Fox TV Watcher (ditzy@s.liz), February 19, 2000.

I read this thing that this is the way American tv is going. Get used to the dumbing down of the sheeple part 8.

-- loopsy lulu (<<@@.##), February 19, 2000.

Is this show a spinoff of America's Most Wanted?

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), February 19, 2000.