Get All Access for $5/mo

This 'Gold Rush' Star Wants to Put Himself Out of Business Entrepreneur picked the brain of gold miner Parker Schnabel, who has learned a lot about success and risk taking while digging in the dirt.

By Dan Bova

Fans of Discovery's Gold Rush know that 23-year-old mine boss Parker Schnabel ended his season with 6,280 ounces in his gold jars. If you're not familiar with gold mining in the Yukon, that's a lot. A whole lot. To be specific, $7,536,132 worth of nuggety goodness.

Related: Richard Branson on the Importance of Taking Meaningful Risks

So after battling through a season plagued by mud, crazy neighbors and continuous equipment breakdowns, Parker naturally decided to take a well-deserved rest, right? Wrong. On Parker's offseason, the self-described "dirt nerd" and his trusted crew headed down from the frozen north to the jungles of Guyana in South America to try their luck mining for gold in the not-very-people-friendly jungle.

Related: Wanna Get Filthy Rich? Listen to the Guys From 'Gold Rush.'

Tune in to Gold Rush: Parker's Trail premiering Friday, March 30, at 9 p.m. on Discovery to find out if they hit pay dirt, got dysentery or maybe a little bit of both!

Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia ZoneRoad & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

More from Entrepreneur Exclusives

3 Simple Ways to Boost E-Commerce Sales

Why Your First 1,000 Customers Are Your Most Important

How to Grow Your Business By Finding New Customers

How to Beat The Working From Home Blues (60-Second Video)

Editor's Pick

Franchise 500 Annual Ranking

50 Franchise CMOs Who Are Changing the Game

Get to know the industry's most influential marketing power players.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Living

70% of Small Business Owners Experience Monthly Burnout. Follow These 3 Rules to Avoid the Same Fate.

Here are three guidelines to help entrepreneurs achieve balance, growth and success in both their professional and personal endeavors.

Side Hustle

At Age 15, He Used Facebook Marketplace to Start a Side Hustle — Then It Became Something Much Bigger: 'Raised Over $1.6 Million'

Dylan Zajac, now a 21-year-old senior at Babson College, wanted to bridge the digital divide.