Roloff was born with diastrophic dysplasia, a degenerative dwarfism that caused him to have fifteen operations as a child.

[2] His younger brother Sam, an artist and founder of Back-Story Underpainting,[5] has diastrophic dysplasia and uses crutches to walk as well.

After rejecting an offer by his son Zach to buy the main home and section of the farm, Matt put the property up for public sale.

[14] He is good friends with fellow little person and actor Martin Klebba, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and is also a member of a leading athletic club for little people, the LA Breakers.

[11] A friend encouraged him to take a job with Sequent Computer Systems, which was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, in order to escape the long work hours and stress of Silicon Valley.

[15] At the end of the first season of Little People, Big World, Roloff is shown again taking a job in computer sales for the software company Amdocs, for which he worked as a consultant.

In 2008, Roloff traveled to Iraq to assist an Iraqi family with three dwarf children who needed medical attention.

His trip was the subject of the season-ending episodes of the fourth season of Little People, Big World, and it was covered by CNN and other national news outlets.

After taking a short break, TLC/Discovery once again reached out to the Roloff family to film 4 one-hour "Little People, Big World" Specials.

In the summer of 2012, the Roloffs began taping another season, a spin-off called Little People Big World: Wedding Farm.

[20] Roloff has spoken at corporate events for companies like Tyson Foods, Walmart,[21] and United Healthcare.

[34] In 1999, with the help of a ghostwriter, Roloff authored the book Against Tall Odds: Being a David in a Goliath World.

Roloff has traveled to Iraq three times to visit U.S. troops and help an Iraqi family get medical attention for their three children with dwarfism.

The deputy claimed that Roloff was driving outside the travel lane after leaving a bar parking lot.

[42][43] Roloff claimed that he had difficulty controlling the SUV because it was fitted with smaller pedal and brake extensions for his wife, and that he had dropped someone off in the bar parking lot.

[43] A witness stated that the bar parking lot was used as a meeting spot and that he did not see Roloff drinking that night.

Roloff had authored a petition to try to keep his friend, who spent 17 years as his "arms and legs" on the farm, in the country.