Jim Thurber (born on 13th June 1963) is an American reality TV star. He is best known for being part of the Hoffman Crew in Discovery channel’s ‘Gold Rush’, which follows miners exploring the gold placer deposits of the Yukon Territory in search of gold and other precious metals.

Before Gold Rush

Descending from a Caucasian family of dedicated Christians, Jim Thurber was born and bred in Boring, Oregon. He attended Centennial High School and graduated in the batch of 1978. 

In his prime, in the early 80s, he was a motocross racer, racing under local sponsorships. Even though he was not an active racer, he was written off as “most likely to die on a motorcycle” in the high school yearbook. In an interview, he said he would ride bikes till he dies.

Coming from a relatively lower-class family, Thurber worked multiple tough jobs in his youth to support his family. He was featured in a few adult films like ‘Rockwell’ and ‘Dick Damage’. 

Before joining Todd Hoffman in his search for gold, Thurber had worked as a sheet metal worker for almost thirty years. Being quite fond of fishing, he was also a part-time fisherman. He left his job hoping for a stable job, and luck was on his side.

Career

When Thurber joined the Hoffman Crew as the camp safety officer, he knew nearly nothing about mining. Still, his hard work and quick learning abilities made him an essential part of the team. He was always there to protect and rescue his team from any dangers they faced at the mining sites.

Standing at an average height of 5’10 (178 meters), Thurber owes his success all to his dedication and, of course, to his archetypal mustache. He is often referred to as the “Moustache Man” by the show’s viewers. His mustache even has a Facebook page with a fan following of 4 thousand.

Jim Thurber Net Worth

After eight seasons and 114 episodes, Thurber left the show in 2018 along with Todd Hoffman but not before amassing a good fan base. He was billed between $15k- $20k for each episode and an additional $120k each year through Klondike.

In 2011, when Thurber joined the show, he was the only one missed payment away from losing his house mortgage. After a decade of hard work and struggle, he has a total net worth of more than $350k.

Filmography

• Gold Rush (8 seasons)
• Gold Rush: Alaska
• Gold Rush: South America
• Gold Rush: The Dirt
• Hoffman Family Gold
• Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue (cameo)

Personal Life & Current Status

Thurber has been happily married to his high school sweetheart, Cynthia Slauson, for over 30 years. Together they both share two kids, Nathan and Breanna, aged 29 and 27 respectively. Thurber is a family man through and through. His colleagues describe him as a tough man but weak when it comes to his family.

Jim Thurber Age

Currently, at the age of 59, Thurber lives in Portland, Oregon. He spends his time fishing with friends and family and teaching his daughter Breanna the sport of motocross racing, which he is passionate about.

He also volunteers at Home w/ Heroes, a non-profit organization set to ‘serve veterans with the gift of outdoors’ by taking them hunting and fishing. In a Facebook post, Thurber mentioned how much he loves volunteering with Home w/ Heroes.

Thurber has multiple social media profiles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook so his fans can keep up with him. However, he is most active on Facebook.