Roberta Raffel built a career in fashion and retail long before most people knew her name, and long before she became known as Marcus Lemonis’s wife. Her story is one of steady, hands-on business experience that started years before The Profit or Camping World ever entered the picture.
This piece covers her age, family background, career, and how a chance meeting at a fashion trade show turned into a marriage, along with what’s known about her children, net worth, and life today.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Roberta Raffel |
| Also Known As | Bobbi Raffel, Bobbi Lemonis |
| Best Known As | Marcus Lemonis’s wife, fashion entrepreneur |
| Birthday | September 21 |
| Reported Birth Year | 1953 (not independently confirmed) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Businesswoman, fashion and retail entrepreneur |
| Husband | Marcus Lemonis |
| Wedding Date | February 17, 2018 |
| Wedding Venue | Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles |
| Children | Two adult children (from a previous relationship) |
| Grandchildren | Yes, reportedly |
| Parents | Kenneth Fenchel and Millicent Fenchel |
| Siblings | Stephen Fenchel, Mickey Fenchel Sima |
| TV Credit | Design coordinator, The Renovator (2022) |
| Notable Appearance | Celebrity Family Feud (2023) |
| Net Worth | Not publicly confirmed |
| @bobbilemonis |
Who Is Roberta Raffel?
Roberta Raffel, widely known as Bobbi, is an American businesswoman recognized for her decades-long career in fashion and retail. She built that career long before she became a public figure through her marriage to entrepreneur and television personality Marcus Lemonis.
Born on September 21, 1953, she is 72 years old and will turn 73 later this month. Bobbi and Marcus met in 2016 through a business deal, and that connection eventually grew into a marriage in 2018.
Roberta Raffel’s Early Life
Roberta Raffel grew up in a close-knit American family with strong ties to the Chicago area. Her upbringing centered around hard work and discipline, values she credits largely to her father’s long career and steady work ethic.
Details about her childhood home, schooling, and teenage years haven’t been widely documented in interviews or profiles. What is clear is that her early exposure to business and craftsmanship through her family shaped the entrepreneurial path she later followed.
Roberta Raffel’s Parents
Bobbi’s parents were Kenneth Fenchel and Millicent Fenchel. Her father served in World War II and spent more than three decades working in Chicago’s lamp industry, an experience that instilled in her a strong sense of perseverance and consistency.
Kenneth passed away in 2013, and Millicent passed away in 2018. Bobbi has honored both of them publicly over the years, including a tribute in 2023 marking what would have been her mother’s 100th birthday, followed by one for her father a month later.
| Parent | Background |
|---|---|
| Kenneth Fenchel | WWII veteran, worked in Chicago’s lamp industry for 30+ years, passed in 2013 |
| Millicent Fenchel | Described as loving and family-oriented, passed in 2018 |
Does Roberta Raffel Have Siblings?
Bobbi is the oldest of three children in the Fenchel family. She grew up alongside a younger brother and sister, and the three have remained close into adulthood.
Her siblings are:
- Stephen Fenchel, her brother
- Mickey Fenchel Sima, her sister
Bobbi continues to share family moments with them on social media, and both siblings have appeared in posts tied to family milestones and gatherings.
Roberta Raffel’s Education
Bobbi’s educational background hasn’t been widely publicized. No specific high school, college, or degree has been tied to her name in public interviews or press coverage.
This isn’t unusual for someone who built her career through hands-on industry experience rather than academic credentials. Her path into fashion came largely through direct work in the field rather than formal training.
Roberta Raffel’s Career in Fashion and Retail
Long before her marriage made her a household name, Bobbi had already spent years building a career in fashion and retail. She started out as a sales manager, a role that gave her early exposure to how the industry actually runs behind the scenes.
From there, she moved into coordinating runway shows and working closely with modeling agencies, handling the logistics that keep a fashion event on schedule. That mix of sales instinct and operational experience became the foundation for everything she did afterward, including eventually running her own company.
Bobbi Raffel’s Fashion Business
Before meeting Marcus Lemonis, Bobbi owned her own fashion and retail business, built on the same industry knowledge she had spent years developing. Running the company gave her direct experience in merchandising, client relationships, and brand management.
That business became the reason she and Marcus crossed paths in the first place. He eventually bought the company from her, a deal that started as a straightforward transaction and later turned into something personal.
How Roberta Raffel Met Marcus Lemonis
Bobbi and Marcus met in 2016 at COTERIE, a major fashion trade show that brings together brands, retailers, and buyers from across the industry. Both were there for business, not romance.
Bobbi approached Marcus directly and asked if he’d be interested in buying her fashion business. That simple business pitch turned out to be the start of everything that followed between them.
Roberta Raffel and Marcus Lemonis’ Relationship
Their connection stayed professional at first, built around the sale of Bobbi’s company and the conversations that came with it. Over time, that working relationship shifted into something more personal.
Marcus proposed around Christmas 2017, tucking the ring into a Secret Santa gift exchange. He later joked that he got lucky the gift ended up in the right hands, and Bobbi said yes.
Roberta Raffel and Marcus Lemonis’ Wedding
Bobbi and Marcus originally planned to marry in January 2018 at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. Wildfires and mudslides in the area forced them to change both the date and the location.
They ultimately married on February 17, 2018, at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Marcus later shared photos from the ceremony, confirming the details of the wedding to the public.
Details About Their Wedding Celebration
The celebration stretched across two days, blending formal tradition with personal touches from both families. The first evening included an event at the Air Museum in Santa Monica before the main ceremony the next day.
| Wedding Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | February 17, 2018 |
| Venue | Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles |
| Color Theme | Ivory, gold, and silver |
| Officiants | A priest and a cantor, honoring both families’ traditions |
| Groom’s Attire | Custom Gucci suit |
| First Dance Song | “Looking for You” (from Empire) |
Marcus wore a custom Gucci suit for the ceremony while Bobbi wore a traditional wedding gown, and both changed into more relaxed outfits for the reception. Marcus later said he cried during the ceremony and described the day as simple but deeply special.
Who Is Marcus Lemonis?
Marcus Lemonis is a businessman and television personality best known for hosting CNBC’s The Profit, where he invests in struggling small businesses and works alongside their owners to turn them around. The show built his reputation as a hands-on operator rather than just an investor.
He has also held senior leadership roles tied to the recreational vehicle and outdoor industries, most notably through his long association with Camping World. Before The Profit, he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice and Secret Millionaire, though it was his deal-making style on his own show that made him widely recognizable.
Roberta Raffel’s Business Work With Marcus Lemonis
After marrying, Bobbi became involved in MARCUS, a retail brand selling clothing, jewelry, home goods, and lifestyle products. Her background in fashion and retail made her a natural fit for the venture.
She has appeared at store openings and promotional events tied to the brand, including the MARCUS Gold Coast launch in Chicago in April 2018 and a MARCUS Meatpacking event in New York City the following month.
Did Roberta Raffel Invest in Camping World?
Bobbi has been linked to an investment of around $1.3 million in Camping World, with some accounts pointing to a stake of more than 99,000 shares. The exact scale of her involvement varies depending on the source.
What’s consistent across coverage is that she has stayed connected to Marcus’s broader business world beyond just their marriage. Camping World remains one of the ventures most closely tied to his public profile, and her involvement reflects how intertwined their business and personal lives have become.
Roberta Raffel’s Work on The Renovator
In 2022, Bobbi worked as a design coordinator on eight episodes of The Renovator, a home improvement series where Marcus served as executive producer. The show focused on helping families transform their living spaces.
Her role centered on the visual and design side of production, drawing on the same eye for style she developed throughout her fashion career. It marked one of her few direct on-screen production credits outside of public appearances alongside Marcus.
Does Roberta Raffel Have Children?
Bobbi has two adult children from a previous relationship, a son and a daughter, both of whom have families of their own. She and Marcus do not have children together.
Her daughter has also worked in the fashion industry and was present at Bobbi and Marcus’s wedding in 2018. Bobbi frequently shares moments with her children and grandchildren on social media.
Roberta Raffel’s Previous Relationship
Before marrying Marcus, Bobbi was previously married to a man named Lee Raffel, who is understood to be the father of her two children. Details about the relationship and how it ended have never been part of her public story.
She has kept that chapter of her life largely private, choosing instead to focus public attention on her career and her current family. This is common for someone who built her public profile later in life, well after her children were grown.
Roberta Raffel on Celebrity Family Feud
In July 2023, Bobbi appeared alongside Marcus on Celebrity Family Feud. The couple competed together in the show’s Fast Money round.
They won $25,000 for charity during the episode. It was a rare moment of the couple showing a lighter, more playful side outside their usual business setting.
Roberta Raffel’s Public Appearances
Bobbi has attended a number of events tied to fashion, retail, and Marcus’s television career over the years. Most of her public outings connect back to their shared business ventures.
Notable appearances include:
- Aspen Shines Hope: Marcus x Runway, Aspen, Colorado (December 2017)
- MARCUS Gold Coast grand opening, Chicago (April 2018)
- MARCUS Meatpacking grand opening, New York City (May 2018)
- Celebrity Family Feud (2023)
Roberta Raffel’s Life Away From the Spotlight
Despite her public ties to Marcus, Bobbi keeps much of her day-to-day life private. She rarely gives interviews and lets her business work and social media presence speak for her instead.
Her focus outside of business events tends to center on family, particularly her children and grandchildren. That balance between a public business role and a private personal life has defined much of how she presents herself.
Roberta Raffel’s Lifestyle, Interests, and Personal Values
Bobbi’s lifestyle reflects the same fashion sensibility that shaped her career, favoring style and quality in both her personal and business life. Her social media posts often highlight travel, family gatherings, and product launches tied to MARCUS.
Family clearly plays a central role in her personal values, seen in how consistently she honors her late parents and celebrates milestones with her children and grandchildren. Hard work and perseverance, values she has credited to her father, continue to show up in how she talks about her career.
Roberta Raffel on Social Media
Bobbi is active on Instagram under the handle @bobbilemonis, where she shares a mix of personal and business content. Her posts range from family photos to promotional material for MARCUS products.
Her feed regularly features Marcus, her children and grandchildren, travel, and tributes to her late parents. Earlier reports placed her follower count above 34,000, though that number shifts over time.
Roberta Raffel’s Birthday Celebration
Bobbi celebrates her birthday every year on September 21. In 2023, she marked the occasion with photos of herself and Marcus spending time near the water, writing about being grateful for the new experiences they were sharing together.
A few days later, she posted again about attending a Beyoncé concert as part of the celebration. These yearly posts have become a consistent way she marks the milestone publicly.
Roberta Raffel’s Net Worth
Roberta Raffel’s personal net worth is estimated at around $5 million, built from her years running a fashion and retail business before her marriage to Marcus Lemonis. That figure reflects her independent career rather than any share of her husband’s fortune.
It’s worth noting that Marcus Lemonis’s net worth, which runs into the hundreds of millions through Camping World and his other ventures, is entirely separate from Bobbi’s personal wealth.
Facts About Roberta Raffel
- Her full name is Roberta Raffel, commonly known as Bobbi.
- She was born on September 21, 1953.
- Her parents were Kenneth and Millicent Fenchel.
- She has a brother, Stephen Fenchel, and a sister, Mickey Fenchel Sima.
- She built a career in fashion and retail before meeting Marcus Lemonis.
- She met Marcus in 2016 at the COTERIE fashion trade show.
- Marcus proposed around Christmas 2017 through a Secret Santa gift.
- They married on February 17, 2018, at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.
- She has two adult children from a previous marriage to Lee Raffel.
- She is also a grandmother.
- She worked as a design coordinator on The Renovator in 2022.
- She appeared with Marcus on Celebrity Family Feud in 2023.
- Her estimated net worth is around $5 million.
FAQs
Who is Roberta Raffel?
Roberta Raffel is an American businesswoman known for her career in fashion and retail and for being the wife of entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis.
How old is Roberta Raffel?
She was born on September 21, 1953, making her 72 years old.
How did Roberta Raffel meet Marcus Lemonis?
They met in 2016 at the COTERIE fashion trade show, where Bobbi approached Marcus about buying her fashion business.
When did Roberta Raffel marry Marcus Lemonis?
They married on February 17, 2018, at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.
Does Roberta Raffel have children?
Yes, she has two adult children, a son and a daughter, from her previous marriage to Lee Raffel.
Did Roberta Raffel invest in Camping World?
She has been linked to an investment of roughly $1.3 million in Camping World, alongside a stake of more than 99,000 shares.
What is Roberta Raffel’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is around $5 million, built from her fashion and retail career.
Is Roberta Raffel on Instagram?
Yes, she posts under the handle @bobbilemonis, sharing a mix of family, travel, and business content.
Wrap Up
Roberta Raffel’s story stretches well beyond her marriage to Marcus Lemonis. She built a career in fashion and retail on her own terms long before their paths crossed at a trade show in 2016.
From running her own business to raising a family and later stepping into television production, her path reflects the same steady work ethic she credits to her upbringing. Today, she continues to balance a public role alongside Marcus with a life she largely keeps private.
AtlasWorth Editorial publishes well-researched content on celebrity net worth, biographies, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. Our articles are based on publicly available information from reliable sources and are regularly reviewed for accuracy and relevance.