As part of the adventure reality TV show Gold Rush, cast member Parker Schnabel is one of the most recognizable faces. The show, which is about gold mining, follows several miners as they trek and mine for the precious metal. Schnabel has known all about mining since he was a young child. He grew up near a gold mine that his family ran up until he took over at just 16 years old. And that became one of the several premises of the show — a younger Schnabel heading a mining company of mostly older and more experienced workers, per Discovery.
Schnabel was born in Haines, Alaska, on July 22, 1994. He inherited the family mine called Big Nugget from his grandfather John (via Discovery), who taught Parker and his brother the ins and outs of mining and managing. When the show premiered in 2010, Schnabel was a teenager just starting out. He made his debut during the first season and became a permanent member in the second. He has since appeared on every one of the show’s last 10 seasons. Schnabel also appeared in another show called Gold Rush: The Dirt, along with his own spinoff called Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail — the latter which he produced, per IMDb.
PARKER SCHNABEL’S NET WORTH
Not only is Parker Schnabel a miner who successfully runs a team that has mined $13 million worth of gold (via Money Inc.), he is also a well-paid reality TV personality and producer. As of this year, Schnabel’s net worth is an estimated $8 million, according to Wealthy Gorilla. But that number has seen rapid increases over the years, and other sources estimate that Schnabel’s real net worth might actually be higher at $10 million (via Wealthy Persons). Still, whether he has a worth of seven or eight figures, it makes him the second-wealthiest cast member on the show, reported TV Over Mind.
Schnabel’s been on Gold Rush from its inception, and he’s racked up some big cash. He was already a millionaire entering his early 20s, and the Discovery Channel network pays Schnabel a nice $25,000 per episode, according to The Things. Adding to that, Schnabel also executive produced 14 episodes of the most recent season of his Discovery spinoff show, says IMDb. Currently, it is unclear if the spinoff will return for another season (via TVCancelRenew).