Johnny Dang, born Đặng Anh Tuan in 1973 in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam, is a Vietnamese-American jeweler and entrepreneur based in Houston, Texas.
He founded Johnny Dang & Co., one of America’s most recognized custom jewelry businesses, and earned the nickname King of Bling for his diamond-encrusted grillz.
His partnership with rapper Paul Wall helped turn custom grillz into a defining symbol of hip-hop culture.
Who is Johnny Dang?
Johnny Dang is a Vietnamese-American jeweler, entrepreneur, and cultural figure known for popularizing diamond grillz in hip-hop.
He runs Johnny Dang & Co., a custom jewelry empire headquartered in Houston, Texas, with clients spanning music, sports, and entertainment.
He goes by several nicknames in the industry. “TV Johnny,” “The Jeweler to the Stars,” and “King of Bling” are all names attached to him across two decades of work.
His client list reads like a who’s who of American pop culture. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Migos, Drake, and Travis Scott have all had custom pieces made by Dang.
His rise from a flea market repair booth to a multi-million-dollar jewelry complex represents one of Houston’s most remarkable immigrant success stories.
Early Life of Johnny Dang
Johnny Dang grew up in a small village in Dak Lak Province, in the central highlands of Vietnam. His family had deep roots in the jewelry trade.
Both his grandfather and his father worked as jewelers, and Dang learned the craft from them while still a child, working without electricity or modern tools.
His father served in the South Vietnamese army and faced serious danger after the fall of Saigon. He escaped Vietnam by boat in 1987, surviving roughly two weeks adrift at sea before being rescued. He eventually reached the United States and settled in Houston, Texas.
Dang and his family followed in 1996, reuniting with his father after nearly a decade apart.
Before leaving Vietnam, Dang had already developed real skills in jewelry making and repair, assisting his father with the family trade.
That early training gave him a technical foundation that would later prove essential in America’s competitive market.
Johnny Dang Age
Johnny Dang was born in 1973, making him in his early 50s as of 2026. He arrived in the United States at age 23 in August 1996.
Johnny Dang Ethnicity and Nationality
Dang holds both Vietnamese and American citizenship, having naturalized as a US citizen after immigrating in 1996. He is of Vietnamese ethnicity, born to a family with generations of history in the jewelry trade.
His cultural background has played a visible role in his career, as he has maintained ties to Vietnam and later opened a store location there.
Johnny Dang Height and Weight
Johnny Dang stands at 5 feet 5 inches tall, which is approximately 165 centimeters. His weight sits at around 150 pounds, or roughly 68 kilograms.
He is known for his distinctive personal style, often wearing his own diamond-encrusted grillz alongside chains and luxury accessories.
Johnny Dang Education
After arriving in Houston in 1996, Dang enrolled at Houston Community College to study English. His classes there helped him bridge the language gap and integrate into American professional life.
He had already mastered jewelry craft in Vietnam, so his American education focused on language rather than trade skills.
Johnny Dang Career
Johnny Dang’s career in America began at a Houston flea market, where he repaired jewelry and watches for around $100 a month. From that humble start, he built one of the country’s most recognized luxury jewelry businesses.
Early Career: From Flea Market to Mall Store
After arriving in Houston in August 1996, Dang began working at his cousin’s flea market jewelry kiosk and took on freelance repair jobs at night.
He quickly noticed the gap between the traditional Vietnamese jewelry techniques he knew and the designs and machinery used by American jewelers.
He adapted fast. By 1998, he opened his first store, TV Jewelry, at Sharpstown Mall in Houston. The name “TV” stood for Tuan and Vietnam, a nod to both his given name and his homeland.
At the flea market, Dang developed a key technical advantage: he could create grillz without filing down the client’s teeth, which was the common method used by other makers at the time. That innovation impressed a young rapper named Paul Wall, who visited the booth and saw Dang’s work up close.
Breakthrough: The Paul Wall Partnership
Dang’s meeting with Paul Wall in 2002 changed the trajectory of his career. Wall asked Dang to make him a custom grill, and the resulting piece drew immediate attention. The two recognized the opportunity and formally entered into a business partnership.
Wall brought industry connections and visibility. Dang brought technical expertise and creative design instincts. Together, they pushed custom grillz from a niche Southern hip-hop accessory to a mainstream status symbol.
Wall’s 2005 album The People’s Champ brought Houston rap to national audiences. The hit song “Grillz,” featuring Nelly, pushed demand for custom mouthpieces to a new level. Dang’s work sat at the center of that cultural moment.
After the Nelly collaboration raised his profile nationally, Dang’s client list expanded rapidly. Houston artists such as Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Chamillionaire became regular customers. Soon, artists from across the country came calling.
Johnny Dang & Co. and Recent Work
In 2016, Dang and Paul Wall moved their operation into a standalone complex along Richmond Avenue in Houston, launching Johnny Dang & Co. in its current form. The flagship location features gated entry, security personnel, and a full workshop where craftspeople handcraft pieces on-site.
The company produces between 20 and 30 custom pieces every week, consuming between 15,000 and 20,000 diamonds in that same period. Individual orders routinely cost in the six figures.
In 2023, boxer Floyd Mayweather commissioned a $1 million white gold chain from Dang. The piece featured 8,500 diamonds totaling 300 carats and weighed 2.6 kilograms, making it one of the most high-profile single commissions in Dang’s career.
Dang has also appeared in dozens of music videos over the years, including appearances in Beyoncé’s “No Angel” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Bigger in Texas.” In 2023, That Mexican OT and Paul Wall released a track titled “Johnny Dang,” cementing his status as a named fixture in Southern rap culture.
He operates three retail locations as of 2026, including his Houston flagship and an outpost in Vietnam.
Johnny Dang Awards and Recognition
Dang has earned recognition through cultural impact rather than formal awards. He has been featured in Forbes and profiled by Texas Highways, Complex, and Houston Chronicle, among other outlets.
His name appears in dozens of rap songs by artists including Migos, Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, DaBaby, 2 Chainz, Chief Keef, Trippie Redd, Travis Scott, Polo G, and Wale. Being name-dropped in hip-hop lyrics represents one of the highest forms of organic recognition in that industry.
He has also appeared in music videos for Nelly’s “Grillz,” Machine Gun Kelly’s “Wild Boy,” Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandanna,” and Beyoncé’s “No Angel,” building a media presence most jewelers never achieve.
Johnny Dang Wife
Johnny Dang is married to Jennifer Dang. The couple celebrates their anniversary on August 14 each year, though their wedding year has not been publicly confirmed. Jennifer is a fashion and beauty influencer who appears on Dang’s social media.
Dang keeps his family life largely private despite his public profile. In interviews, he has spoken about the importance of staying grounded and giving back, values he says he wants his children to share.
Johnny Dang Children
Johnny Dang and Jennifer Dang have two children together, a daughter named Jacy Dang and a son named Johnny Dang Jr. Jacy was born in September 2005, and Johnny Jr. arrived in April 2007.
Dang has described himself as family-oriented and frequently mentions the role his upbringing played in shaping his work ethic.
Johnny Dang Net Worth
Johnny Dang’s estimated net worth is $20 million as of 2026.
His primary income source is Johnny Dang & Co., which generates revenue through custom jewelry orders, retail sales, and wholesale accounts across its three locations. The business uses 15,000 to 20,000 diamonds per week in its production workflow.
High-profile commissions contribute meaningfully to his earnings. The $1 million Floyd Mayweather chain in 2023 stands as one of the most publicly documented examples.
Dang also earns from media appearances, brand partnerships, and his social media presence. His YouTube channel has surpassed one million subscribers. He runs charity work through Johnny Dang Charities, supporting children in Vietnam and Houston.
Johnny Dang Social Media
Johnny Dang maintains an active presence across multiple platforms under the handle @johnnydangandco. His Instagram showcases celebrity commissions, behind-the-scenes jewelry-making content, and client reveals. His TikTok account features similar short-form video content and has built a large following.
Dang’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@johnnydangandco posts longer videos including client visits, jewelry reveals, and interviews. The channel crossed one million subscribers and generates consistent ad revenue.
Facebook is also part of his digital presence, with each major platform reporting more than three million followers as of recent reporting.
The Bottom Line
Johnny Dang opened TV Jewelry at Houston’s Sharpstown Mall in 1998, and his 2002 partnership with Paul Wall helped turn custom diamond grillz into a mainstream hip-hop staple. That collaboration produced a cultural moment still felt across rap music more than two decades later.
Dang arrived in the United States from Vietnam in 1996 with limited English and no formal business training. His grandfather and father both worked as jewelers, and those early lessons in craft and patience gave him the foundation to build a multimillion-dollar company from a flea market booth.
Johnny Dang & Co. now operates three retail locations, including a flagship Houston complex and an outpost in Vietnam. He continues to take commissions from the biggest names in music and sports.
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