Dodge slowly rose to fame as a crew member on Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush, Freddy Dodge is a professional miner, prospector, and reality TV star. He has a spin-off series titled “Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue” and is also associated with MSI Mining Equipment. As of 2023, Freddy Dodge has a net worth of $1 million.
Early Life
Freddy Eugene Dodge was born on December 30, 1966 in Colorado, United States. The miner has three other siblings, his eldest brother, Derek, also became a miner and reality TV personality.
Raised by his grandparents on a cattle ranch in the town of Walden, Freddy grew up near the Fairplay Claim, one of the highest mines in the United States as it is located 10,500 ft. up. Dodge started mining at the age of nine and spent his youth honing his skills digging for gold. Little did he know, these skills would get him on TV!
Joining Gold Rush
Freddy gained some notoriety after a brief stint on the first and second seasons of Gold Rush. By season three he finally became a regular cast member and got a lot more air time.
Alongside Dave Turin, he was one of the few crew members with strong experience. This earned him the nickname the “Gold Guru”. Dodge is also known for helping other miners set up their operations. Smaller miners tend to struggle with setting up their wash plants to mine gold efficiently.
The Hoffman crew used his skills at Porcupine Creek and the Mazaruni Claim in Guyana. When he first met Todd Hoffman, he believed that he wasn’t a real miner. But when Todd left Gold Rush, Freddy clarified that he genuinely liked the guy.
Other Ventures
Dodge is no regular gold miner and has other business ventures to make extra money. In season four of Gold Rush, he stated that he was the owner of a wash plant named “Big Red”.
Despite the rumors, Freddy is not the owner of MSI Mining Equipment but works with the Colorado-based industrial equipment supplier. Furthermore, he has appeared in other shows outside of the main Gold Rush series.
He appeared in the 2012 spin-off, “Gold Rush: The Jungle”. In 2018, he boosted his fame as a recurring figure in “Gold Rush: Haulin’ Pay”. More recently, Freddy got his own show with Juan Ibarra, “Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue”, which began airing in 2021. The show’s second season finished airing in May 2022 and the third season should start soon.
Net Worth and Earnings
It is reported that Freddy makes $10,000 to $25,0000 per episode on the original Gold Rush show. It can also be assumed that he makes around a similar figure in his own show and appearances in other spin-offs. On his show, he charges customers a percentage of the increase in gold he helps recover.
As for his business ventures, the celebrity miner hasn’t disclosed his earnings from them yet. However, it is safe to say that he makes a considerable amount, as his net worth is estimated to be around $1 million.
Personal Life
In 1997, Freddy married Lisa Irene Dodge. The couple has been blessed with two daughters, Nikki and Sammi. The Dodge family lives in Colorado. Freddy once suspected that he may have cancer, but when he went to the doctor, he wasn’t diagnosed with any major illness.
