Who is Parker Schnabel?

Born and raised in Alaska, mining has always been huge part of Parker's life, as well as in his blood, with his Grandfather John Schnabel running the hugely successful Big Nugget Mine at Porcupine Creek for many decades. As a child, Parker would spend summers at the mine helping his Grandfather run the business. He puts his success in the gold mining business down to what he learned from his Grandfather.

At the young age of just 16, John Schnabel made his Grandson boss of the mine and the Big Nugget Crew, due to his failing health. Parker proved he had what it took to lead a team of miners twice his age, as well as the ability to find serious gold.

Determined to continue in his Grandfather’s footsteps, Parker reportedly used the money saved for his college fees to set up his own mining operation. Following his Grandfather’s death in 2014, Parker has been more determined than ever to continue his Grandfather’s legacy. In his honour, Parker led a group of friends along the Klondike Gold Rush trail, infamous for taking the lives of thousands of pioneers who went in search of gold in the late 19th century.

Despite his young age, Parker is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to his success mining gold. Although a lot of other miners thought he would not succeed, he showed that he could get results producing a 1,029-ounce total in his first season! In the last season of Gold Rush, he pulled out a gold worth of almost 3.7 million dollars.

Want to see more of Parker? Don't miss series 9 of Gold Rush, premiering on Discovery Channel this October.