Rob Gough

Last updated

Rob Gough
Born
Indiana, U.S.
OccupationsEntrepreneur, actor, sports memorabilia collector
Years active2000s–present
Known forBidaroo; Eckim; DOPE
SpouseCassie Gough [1]

Rob Gough is an American actor, entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and sports memorabilia collector. [2] [3] [4] Gough launched his first business, Bidaroo, a penny auction website that later sponsored an entry in the Indianapolis 500. [5] [3]

Contents

In 2021, Gough purchased a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card graded PSA 9 for $5.2 million, which was reported as the highest price paid for a sports trading card at that time. [2] [6] [7]

Early life and health

Gough was raised in Indiana. When he was a teenager and a college student at Ball State University, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and underwent chemotherapy and related medical treatment. [8] In an interview with Business Insider , Gough said, "There was never a second that I thought I was going to lose it." [9]

Acting career

In a 2022 interview, Gough stated that while filming the 2022 action film American Siege , Bruce Willis offered informal advice to the cast and crew and was supportive on set, and that he did not notice any issues with Willis's performance during filming. [10] [11]

Entrepreneurship

In 2012, Gough co‑founded Eckim, a digital marketing and performance advertising company that operated coupon and deal websites. He served as president of the company until its sale to Quotient Technology in 2014.

In May 2014, he was profiled by The New York Times , which covered his role at Eckim and his earlier entrepreneurial ventures. [12]

In 2017, Gough acquired the Los Angeles–based streetwear brand DOPE, serving as its owner and chief executive. [13] [14]

Sports memorabilia

In January 2021, Gough purchased a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card for $5.2 million, which was reported at the time as the highest price paid for a sports card. [2] [6] The transaction was widely covered by national media and cited in discussions of the sports collectibles boom. [15] [16]

Gough engaged in additional transactions involving graded sports cards, including a PSA 10 Pete Maravich Topps rookie card. [17] [18] He was also reported as a winning bidder in United States Treasury seized asset auctions involving high-grade sports cards. [19]

In 2023, Gough was reported to have acquired and sold additional memorabilia, including game-worn artifacts such as Wayne Gretzky jerseys. [20]

Personal life

Gough has spoken publicly about surviving cancer and has described the experience as formative to his professional and personal ambitions. [9]

He lived in Indianapolis with his fiancée, Cassie, to participate in charitable activities, including fundraisers for local wish‑granting organizations. [9] [21] [11]

References

  1. ↑ Diaz, Carlos (October 28, 2021). "Millionaire 'wish kid' reflects on his journey that started on Indy's south side". WTHR . Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Shea, Bill (February 22, 2021). "He just spent a record $5.2 million on a Mickey Mantle card — here's why". The Athletic / New York Times . Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "'A bad guy' in a Bruce Willis movie is the latest to launch an ESG ETF". Wealth Management. March 2022.
  4. ↑ Seaberg, Abigail. "Indiana Native Beats Ewing Sarcoma As a Kid, Becomes Millionaire Businessman and Actor: 'Chemo Teaches You that You're Going to Be Thrown Curveballs'". SurvivorNet. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Impossible? Only Until You Prove Otherwise (Published 2014)". May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Mickey Mantle baseball card sells for $5.2 million". CBS News. January 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Indy's Rob Gough buys Mickey Mantle baseball card for $5.2 million". Indianapolis Star. January 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ "For Entrepreneur and Cancer Survivor Rob Gough, Anything Is Possible". Tech.co.
  9. 1 2 3 Kim, Eugene (August 2, 2015). "How beating cancer helped this entrepreneur start several businesses". Business Insider . Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Bruce Willis gave profound advice on set of one of final films, Rob Gough says". New York Daily News. March 31, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Rob Gough on surviving cancer, buying $5.2M baseball card, becoming Hollywood actor". People.com. January 2021.
  12. ↑ Bryant, Adam. "Rob Gough of Eckim, on Achieving the Unachievable". Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Rob Gough completes most expensive sports card transaction in history purchasing 1952 Mickey Mantle card for $5.2 Million". SI. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Hughes, Aria (May 17, 2017). "Rob Gough Acquires Dope". WWD. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Mickey Mantle baseball card sells for record US$5.2 million". World Baseball Softball Confederation. February 2021.
  16. ↑ "Mickey Mantle Card Record Sale". BroBible.
  17. ↑ "Actor Rob Gough flips Pete Maravich rookie card". Yahoo Sports.
  18. ↑ "Rob Gough sells PSA 10 Maravich Topps rookie card for $730K". Sports Collectors Daily.
  19. ↑ "Rob Gough wins PSA 10 Maravich rookie card in U.S. Treasury seized asset auction". Sports Collectors Daily.
  20. ↑ Mueller, Rich (June 14, 2023). "Rob Gough Bought Gretzky Jersey to Add to Growing Collection of Icons". Sports Collectors Daily. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Millionaire wish kid Rob Gough fought back from bone cancer". WTHR.
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