• Dave Turin is a civil engineer and businessman from a family of successful prospectors.
• He studied civil engineering at Portland State University.
• He joined his family quarrying business and rose to fame as a consultant on the show “Gold Rush”.
• He has his own show “Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine” and has an estimated net worth of over $2 million.
• He is married to his high school sweetheart, Shelly, and they have three children and grandchildren.
Gold mining isn’t always a lone wolf’s quest on a mission – in some cases it’s a legacy and a family business. Dave Turin is a civil engineer and businessman who comes from a family of successful gold miners. It was not always clear that Dave would pursue this career as he was a football star during his college years. Dave first rose to fame when he was regularly consulted by the Hoffman family crew during the first season of “Gold Rush”, a Discovery Channel show that followed the ups and downs of gold mining.
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Early life and family
Dave Turin was born on April 21, 1959 in Sandy, Oregon USA to Jim Turin – his mother’s name is unknown. Dave is one of six children – three brothers and two sisters – who are mainly involved in the family business. Dave loved the outdoors as a child and developed hunting and fishing skills. During high school, Dave was not only a good student, but also a top athlete on the football field. This isn’t necessarily surprising since his father, Jim, was a local teacher and sports coach. Dave continued his football career while in college and even played on the Oregon State team for a while before realizing his dreams lay elsewhere.
Education
Although Dave is considered the most skilled miner on the Hoffman crew, he learned most of his skills in the family quarry. Dave Turin attended Sandy Union High School and building on the success of his high school career, including playing football, he studied attended both Ohio State University and Portland State University, where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering.
Career
Family business
Dave Turin joined his family quarrying business immediately after graduation. The company had been established in 1969, when the family helped a resident buy bricks to pave a driveway.
Originally called Jim Turin & Sons, the company was renamed Mt. Hood Rock Products and Dave has been a vice president and co-owner of the company since its inception. Although he mainly focuses on his own work, he remains connected to the company and his brothers who run it.
Discovery Channel
“Gold Rush”
The Discovery Channel got wind of the gold rush in 2010 and began filming a series which would follow young miners as they ventured into the world of gold mining. The show premiered on December 3, 2010 and has since evolved to follow the activities of veteran crews and their high-risk exploits.
In the first season, the show mainly focused on Todd Hoffman and his motley crew. Knowing he lacked experience, Hoffman consulted his friend Dave Turin, who appeared regularly as an advisor during the first season, and when Todd offered him a permanent position on the team, he jumped at the opportunity.
Dave Turin acted as the crew’s source of wisdom and experience, playing an integral role in the success of the Dakota Boys and earning the nickname ‘Dozer Dave’ for his prowess with the bulldozer. After a disastrous mining operation in Guyana prior to the fourth season, Dave switched alliances and began working with Freddy and Derek Dodge.
Dave eventually negotiated a 50% stake in the company if he returned to the Hoffman team, and for a while all was peaceful.
Has Dave Turin retired?
During season seven, Dave left the crew for a short period of time after another fruitless surgery, returning at the end of the season to work on another surgery. The season ended in violence when Dave got into a fistfight with Trey Paulson. Dave explained that because they are family oriented, tension in the crew can run high as the season progresses as they begin to miss home life and their families. Then the unthinkable happened: Dave Turin tendered his resignation. He resigned.
However, this was not the end of Dave Turin as he still had big dreams of gold mining and returned in a show of his own. “Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost MineThe show documents Dave’s traveling and transforming power, visiting derelict mines across the country and assessing the potential of each. He then decides which mines are worth his resources and energy, and revives them. He also returned to the main show.
Private life
Dave Turin is the type of person who chases his dreams. This was certainly true when he married Shelly, the girl he had fallen for in high school.
Shelly trained as a nurse but is currently unemployed and cites spousal support as her source of income. The two have three children, one of whom is Tony Turin, and they are all married, and are now grandparents as well. Dave is close to his children and grandchildren and often posts pictures of himself spending quality time with them – whether it be at Disneyland or on fishing trips.
Appearance
Dave Turin is of average stature, but he has an explosive personality. Dave has dark hair that he wears short, but he also has a beard that is starting to turn gray.
Dave has brown eyes and has aged incredibly. Dave is significantly shorter than average at 1.47 m (4 ft 7 in) and weighs 52 kg (115 lbs).
Net worth and salary
Gold mining can be a lucrative business, and this, coupled with the hefty salary Discovery Channel stars receive, implies that Dave can live relatively comfortably. This does not mean that he does not have to work hard for his money. Gold mining can be unpredictable, and putting your money into the wrong operation could mean the collapse of your finances. Dave Turin is not afraid to take risks but is still very choosy in his ventures, so his net worth is estimated to be over $2 million as of mid 2020.
