Just How Much Money Do Gold Rush Stars Actually Make?
Gold Rush is a show based on the pursuit of wealth through panning for gold. But it's also a TV show that provides entertainment.
So, with income from the production company and their mining activity, just how much do the stars of Gold Rush make?
It's worth noting here that there is no official confirmation as the miners are under no obligation to declare their income unless they are set up as a publicly traded company.
As you might imagine, the figures vary quite considerably between the various 'stars' of the show.
The bigger names like Parker Schnabel, Tony Beets and Todd Hoffman, for example, are all rumoured to earn between $25k and $30k per episode. Others who are less of a draw for the public are still said to be on good money at around $10k per episode and upwards depending on what they can negotiate.
So, with over 20 episodes per season, even the lowest earners are picking up $200k for their efforts. Plus, for those that do a decent job, there is the income from the gold on top of that.
Indeed, Parker is said to have a net worth of $8 million. Interestingly, though, the story goes that he would be a far more successful miner if he concentrated solely on that and didn't take part in Gold Rush.
One thing we know about Parker from his time on the show is that he's a savvy businessman. Which tells us that featuring on it makes him wealthier than he would be without it. And this makes sense when you consider the sponsorship deals, appearance feed etc that he can command as a star of reality TV.
Todd Hoffman is said to have accrued a similar amount of wealth during his time on the show, with a net worth of around $7 million.
But these two are by no means the richest of the Gold Rush contestants. Dutch miner Tony Beets' fortune puts Parkers' considerable wealth firmly in its shadow. Beets, one of the most successful contestants on the show has a reported net worth of $15 million – as much as Parker and Todd combined.
The original gold rush may well be over, and nobody is doubting that mining is a costly venture that holds no guarantees in terms of income. But for those appearing on the reality show, it seems that there are still plenty of fortunes to be made from panning for gold.