Better known by his alias Dakota Fred, Fred Hurt is one of the most successful miners in Discovery’s reality series Gold Rush. Apart from the main Gold Rush show, he has starred in two spin-off series: White Water and All That Glitters. As of 2023, Fred Hurt has an estimated net worth of $6 million.
Early Life
Hurt was born on July 10, 1943 and was raised in Minot, Dakota. He used to spend the majority of his time fishing in his younger years. As a result of this, he struggled in school.
Because he loved being involved in water activities, Fred got into sports diving. He would often visit the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas. This inspired him to start a career as a commercial diver sometime in the 1960s.
However, when he learned that a job in marine biology doesn’t pay much, he quit. Thus, after high school, he decided to study geology in college, but he did not get very far with it either.
Early Career
When he was working as a diver, Fred gained knowledge on how to execute salvage, mining, and demolition operations underwater. With this, he started his own construction company.
His business was fairly successful, and Hurt ran it for 25 years. He stopped operating the construction firm in 2004 when he chose to retire at 60 years old.
Still, he wasn’t content with doing nothing. So, the former businessman tried his hand at gold mining. He went to Alaska, but he suffered major losses in his initial years.
Joining Gold Rush
Fred Hurt and his son, Dustin, became known as the “Dakota Boys” on Gold Rush. In the first season of the show, they were hired by the Hoffman crew at Porcupine Creek.
When season two started, Fred purchased Earle Foster’s Porcupine Creek lease and ejected the Hoffmans. This was how he was able to become a regular cast member of the show. He hired more men to join the Dakota Boys.
In season five, he left the main series to start the unofficial 2015 spin-off series titled All That Glitters. He led his group to find gold in a waterfall. In 2018, he starred in Gold Rush: White Water. He was also featured in the Amazon Prime Video documentary “Gold Blooded”.
Net Worth and Earnings
It is reported that Dakota Fred makes $22,000 per episode on Gold Rush. It can also be assumed that he earns a similar figure on the spin-off series that he is featured in.
Of course, he also earns a substantial amount as the head of a lucrative mining crew. Before this, he earned a lot in his long-running construction business. Currently, he sits at a net worth of around $6 million.
Personal Life
Fred Hurt has been married three times. There is no information about his first partner, but his second wife is an item collector named Lorrayne Hurt. Sadly, she passed away in 2015.
Hurt married Jennifer Sheets more than a year later. The couple doesn’t have children together, but Fred has four kids from his previous relationships. One of them is his fellow miner, Dustin.
