Fans of The Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush can’t help but love one of the show’s stars Tony Beets. The bearded Dutch Canadian doesn’t mince words and his ambition to succeed is obvious. The reality show follows several family-run mining companies as they search for gold in Canada’s Klondike region. The show follows the companies’ struggles as they try to collect the most gold and reach their goals. They deal with weather, malfunctioning equipment and ego clashes. Undoubtedly, the person that stands out the most is the outspoken Tony Beets.

Here are 10 facts you didn’t know about Tony Beets.

1. He’s Dutch

Tony Beets was born in Wijdenes, Netherlands on December 15th, 1959. He was brought up on a farm and spent his early years milking cows. In 1984, he and his wife moved to Dawson’s Creek, Canada. Tony has had various occupations, including farming, construction, operating machinery, and working on oil pipelines.

2. Gold Fever

Eventually, Tony Beets was drawn to the pursuit of gold. He began working in gold mines in Canada’s Yukon and quickly became successful. He is now one of the largest gold miners in Canada and owns the Tamarack Mine and Paradise Hills. The Tamarack Mine is one of the most successful mining operations in the Klondike. Beets also owns and leases out the Scribner Creek claim which is featured on the show Gold Rush.

3. Gold Rush Claims

Tony Beets has been a regular cast member on The Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush since Season 2. The series follows his gold-mining efforts at Tamarack Mine and other places. In Season 4, Tony also leased the Scribner Creek claim to Parker Schnabel’s mining company.

4. Gold Rush Season 2

Tony Beet’s debut on Gold Rush was in Season 2 in 2010. During his introduction, Tony acted as an advisor to the other cast members on how to locate gold. He suggested to Todd Hoffman that drilling test holes was the key to successful mining. Many of the other mining families turn to Tony Beet for guidance due to his years of experience and success as a gold miner.

5. Dredging

Tony Beets believes that dredging, a classic method of gold mining, is the future. In Season 5 of Gold Rush, Tony attempted to move a 75-year-old Dredge from Clear Creek to his claim on the Indian River, more than 150 miles away. He purchased a second, floating industrial Dredge for $1 million.

6. Controversy

Tony Beets is strong-willed and dedicated to his career as a gold miner. While his personality has helped him become successful, he can also be challenging to work with. Although he employs many local miners, his employees have a high turnover rate. Many leave because they find Beets difficult to work with. Additionally, in one episode of Gold Rush, one of Beets’ dredge ponds was set alight with gasoline. One of his employees had to pay a fine of $1,725.

7. Popularity

Tony Beets is one of the most beloved cast members on the reality series Gold Rush. Despite his sometimes gruff personality and his frequent use of expletives, most of the cast and crew respect Beets. He’s been in the business for many years and has a great deal of wisdom. He has also been and continues to be prosperous. He is a skilled gold miner and an astute businessman. Fans of the show Gold Rush adore watching Tony Beets.

8. Tony Peep

In his native Netherlands, Tony Beets is known as “Tony Peep” – a play on the fact that Tony is often censored on Gold Rush. His language can be quite saucy and the show’s producers and editors often have to censor much of what he says. Tony is a strong-willed man, yet his dedication to his job and the show shines through.

9. Family

Tony and his wife Minnie have been together for more than thirty years. They began dating in their twenties and married a few years later. They have four children: Monica, Bianca, Mike and Kevin, and had a daughter, Jasmine, who passed away in 1992 when she was only two months old. During the season, Minnie does the books at Paradise Hill, and has also worked in home health care. The Beets family resides in Arizona during the off-season.

10. Net Worth

Tony Beets and his family have a net worth of $5 million. Much of his wealth comes from gold mining. He also earns approximately $25,000 an episode of The Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush. In addition to owning several Yukon gold mines, Beets and his family own a residence in Arizona.