Todd Hoffman Earns Way More Than You Think On Gold Rush

The Discovery Channel hit gold themselves when they decided to launch a show about the gold mining business in 2010. Originally titled "Gold Rush: Alaska," the show focused on a handful of individuals that decided to try their luck at prospecting for gold (per IMDb). By the end of the first season, the name was changed to just "Gold Rush," and the Hoffmans were established as one of the main focuses of the show. But while it may have appeared that Todd Hoffman just wandered into gold mining because of tough times during the recession, looks can be deceiving. His father got into gold mining in the 1980s and didn't have much luck (via Discovery), but Todd was able to learn a bit about what he needed to do to get started. 

The Hoffmans may not have had a successful time in the gold-mining industry before the show, but that isn't the case for some of the other cast members. Parker Schnabel may claim he struggles with money, but the 27-year-old is already a millionaire, and his grandfather is none other than John Schnabel, who ran the successful Big Nugget mine for decades before his grandson got involved (via Deadline). But even without having the experience the Schnabels have, Todd Hoffman has done well for himself, and earns more money than you might think. 

Todd Hoffman's journey attracted viewers from the beginning, as they wanted to know how things would work out for him. People could relate to this man having money trouble because of the recession, and looking for a new way to make a living. Before getting into gold mining, Hoffman actually owned his own airport and was in the aviation business (via Discovery GO). But when he realized that wasn't a reliable income anymore, he turned to gold mining and got his family involved.

Todd Hoffman's net worth is about $7 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), with the miner pulling in about $25,000 per episode from "Gold Rush," according to TV Star Bio. Given that he's starred in eight seasons and Discovery recently announced he's coming back for the next one, that is quite a bit of money he's made, on top of whatever he finds mining as the owner and operator of the 316 Mining company. "Gold Rush" may make it look like all of these miners are barely getting by, but many are making quite a bit of money. 

Gold mining may be an unpredictable way to earn a living, but Hoffman and the rest of the "Gold Rush" miners are doing pretty well for themselves.