Father to Todd Hoffman, Jack Hoffman is the head of a famous mining family that appears on Discovery’s reality TV show, Gold Rush. Even though he left the main show for four years, the old-timer is back on a new series, “Hoffman Family Gold”. Jack Hoffman currently has a net worth of $1 million.
Early Life
Born on September 15, 1947, in Oregon, United State, Jack was raised by Andy and Brie Hoffman. His father loved fishing and hunting, and young Jack was inspired to imitate him.
A few months after turning 18, he fought in the Vietnam War and trained to be a bush pilot, flying small planes to remote areas. After his service ended, the Oregon native briefly worked in real estate. However, he lost interest and followed some of his friends into gold mining.
Mining Career
Hoffman first tried his hand at mining in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the aspiring miner was met with a string of failed attempts and lost almost everything he owned because of this.
Despite his fruitless endeavors, Jack remained enthusiastic about gold mining and never gave up hope. This enthusiasm was handed down to his children as his son Todd was also bitten by the gold bug.
In 2010, Todd chose to move to Alaska and search for gold and Jack was happy to join him on the journey. Their decision to relocate also led them to star in Gold Rush, a popular reality TV show on Discovery.
Reality TV
In the first season of Gold Rush, the Hoffman crew became a focus of the show. Most of them were unemployed friends of Todd looking for a way to make money. Thankfully, they found success digging in Porcupine Creek.
Later on, they moved to the Klondike in Canada. In season five, many of Todd’s crew left but Jack Hoffman stayed by his son’s side. The father-son duo continued to mine, but ultimately left Gold Rush in season eight.
After his departure, some fans asked if he had passed away, but Jack is still alive; he had just taken a break from mining. The family made their return in 2022 on Discovery’s “Hoffman Family Gold”. They’ve already filmed two seasons for Discovery and should return for a third season.
Net Worth and Earnings
It is reported that Jack Hoffman made around $10,000 for every episode on Gold Rush. However, the seasoned miner’s earnings on the new series haven’t been revealed yet. Hoffman isn’t involved for the money, he just loves mining!
Due to the cost of mining gold, Jack’s crew struggled to make a profit despite finding 6,000 ounces of gold in total. It’s difficult to make a profit after paying salaries, fuel and buying machinery.
Despite not having much luck with gold mining, Jack does own a small airport in Oregon called Sandy River Airport. His wife Georgia manages the airport and Jack’s fortune is worth an estimated $1 million.
Personal Life
Jack met his wife, Georgia, when he was 15, and the pair got married at 18 years old. They were blessed with two children, Todd and a daughter named Tamara. Georgia has made some brief cameo appearances on Gold Rush.