The offer stands, but NHRA drag racer Alexis DeJoria is never going to accept it.
Her father, billionaire entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria, says he'll pay his daughter $1 million if she'll have her tattoos removed. At first, he was serious, but over time the offer has faded into a running joke between them. The tattoos are first-rate, by some of the best artists in the country, and they define her.
In a roundabout way, body art helped a wealthy, famous father understand the daughter he calls his "wild child." The daughter who refuses to live the life of wealthy heiress. The daughter who goes 300 mph in a race car. The daughter whose tattoos can't be bought off.
Makes sense. After all, there's a lot of John Paul DeJoria in that ink.
"I tease her about having them removed, but they're part of who she is," DeJoria, 70, told USA TODAY Sports. "It's part of the connection she makes with people. In my day, you just didn't get tattoos unless you were in the Navy, but now it's more acceptable. I'm amazed at the amount of people who know who she is. Recently I was at a major event and at least a dozen people walked up to me and said, 'Can I shake your hand? I'm a big fan of Alexis.' "
MORE: DeJoria's roots show in billionaire father
Her fanbase could expand this weekend when she has a chance to make history. DeJoria enters the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway third in the Funny Car standings and poised to post the 100th event victory by a woman in NHRA history.
Female winners aren't surprising in drag racing. Shirley Muldowney broke that barrier in 1976. John Force's daughters Courtney and Brittany are top-notch competitors in Funny Car and Top Fuel, respectively, and Erica Enders-Stevens is one of the best drivers in the Pro Stock category.
All three are capable of reaching the 100-win landmark this weekend, as are DeJoria, Leah Pritchett in Top Fuel and Angie Smith and Katie Sullivan in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
"I think it's a terrific thing," Muldowney said. "A lot of ladies played a big part in getting to 100 wins and it's good for the sport. Anything that shows women can be competitive with men and come out on top, it's a good thing. There are a lot of cars capable of getting that 100th win."
Forbes estimates John Paul DeJoria's net worth between $3 billion and $4 billion. His empire includes John Paul Mitchell hair care products, Patron Spirits — makers of the famous tequila — John Paul Pet Care, House of Blues nightclubs and Touchstone Natural Gas. He has made forays into the Hollywood film industry, has appeared on Shark Tank and holds a stake in a Harley-Davidson dealership.
His 36-year-old daughter could have bought the best of race cars and created a career out of thin air. Instead, she did it the same way her dad did, working from the bottom to the top with tenacity and intelligence. Part of that was her plan, part of it his. When she wanted Patron as her sponsor, she didn't just ask her dad for a check. He wanted a full, professional business proposal with facts and figures. He wanted proof that the sponsorship would provide a return on the investment. She delivered.
"There definitely is a perception about me and money," Alexis DeJoria told USA TODAY Sports. "It comes with the territory when you have a father who's a billionaire. It's two strikes against me. But he's not who people think he is, and once they get to know me and my father, they change their minds. He's completely down-to-earth, and he worked hard for everything he has. I'm trying to do the same thing.
"People say I could be sitting on a beach with a drink in my hand or hanging out at fashion shows," Alexis says. "And yes, I have done that, but that's not the way I was raised. I was always raised to work for what I want and earn my own money. His money is not my money, it's his. … This is my job. It's not a hobby. It's my work, and I love it. He loves what he does, and so do I. If he didn't have his work, he wouldn't know what to do. I'm the same way. That's just how I was brought up."
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