He Started Rivian at 26. The First Truck Came 12 Years Later.
He fixed old cars as a teenager. He earned a PhD from MIT. Then he spent a decade building Rivian in secret.
In 2009, a 26 year old started a car company.
It would take more than ten years before a single customer got a vehicle.
Most founders would give up. RJ Scaringe kept going. His company, Rivian, became one of America's best known electric vehicle makers.
A Florida kid who loved cars
Robert Joseph "RJ" Scaringe was born on January 19, 1983, in Rockledge, Florida, and grew up in nearby Melbourne.
As a teenager he restored old cars with a neighbour. He loved how they worked. But he also worried about the pollution they made.
He decided he wanted to build cars that were good for the planet.
From engineer to founder
RJ earned a bachelor's degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Then he went to MIT, where he earned a master's degree and a PhD in mechanical engineering at the famous Sloan Automotive Lab.
In 2009, straight out of MIT, he started his car company. After early name changes, it became Rivian in 2011.
Years of quiet building
RJ changed direction more than once. The first idea was a sporty car. He decided instead to build adventure vehicles: electric trucks and SUVs for people who love the outdoors.
In 2017, Rivian bought an old Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois.
In November 2018, Rivian finally showed the world its vehicles at the Los Angeles Auto Show: the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV.
Amazon calls
In 2019, Amazon invested in Rivian and ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans. Other big investors followed.
In 2021, Rivian started delivering the R1T, the first electric pickup truck to reach customers in the U.S.
The giant IPO
On November 10, 2021, Rivian went public on the Nasdaq. Its shares jumped, and it briefly became worth around $100 billion, more than many old car giants.
Then reality hit. Supply chain problems, slow production and big losses sent the stock tumbling.
Volkswagen and the R2
RJ kept betting on software and smaller, cheaper cars. In 2024, Rivian and Volkswagen formed a joint venture worth up to $5.8 billion to share Rivian's electrical and software systems.
In 2026, Rivian began ramping up production of the R2, a more affordable SUV meant to reach many more families. Rivian is also developing an R2 based robotaxi for Uber, targeted for late 2028.
Where he is now
Today, RJ Scaringe is founder, chairman and CEO of Rivian. 2026 is a make or break year for the R2.
Why the story matters
RJ Scaringe's story is about patience. He spent more than a decade building before selling a single vehicle, and he stayed focused through big wins and hard falls.
For young builders, the lesson is simple. Some dreams take years. Keep your mission clear, and be willing to change the plan to reach it.
He did not rush to the road. He built the road first.
The Record
Born: January 19, 1983
From: Rockledge, Florida, USA
Studied: B.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; M.S. and PhD, mechanical engineering, MIT
Built: Rivian
Timeline
1983 Born in Rockledge, Florida.
2009 Founds the company that becomes Rivian.
2017 Buys a factory in Normal, Illinois.
2018 Reveals the R1T and R1S.
2019 Amazon invests and orders 100,000 vans.
2021 First deliveries. IPO on Nasdaq.
2024 Volkswagen joint venture.
2026 R2 production ramps up.