In November 2011, two things happened. Wright, 32, a mixed martial arts enthusiast with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, grew up in California before moving to Utah at 16. Just that fast, he blocked me and Scott and never gives an ounce (no pun intended) of support. A couple of years ago, Utah Valley residents Scott Lomu, 37, and George Wright, 29, decided to investigate after Lomu's father-in-law, who had explored the booming Ghanaian gold market himself . As they prepared for shooting one day in May, they heard that armed militia had attacked miners near their old site. I thought, Why have the authorities not intervened?. For anyone who thinks their decision to pursue gold mining is utterly insane, they explained to me how they came to this conclusion in a way that sounds entirely logical. They toiled for 18 hours a day, travelling two hours from a nearby village to the mine, living in a mud hut and battling with storms, broken equipment and constant delays. Hes a gentleman whos a land broker. I can say that Parker is a cool kid, he's been supportive to us and so has Fred. But as Ghanaian mining activist Daniel Owusu-Koranteng told me, illiterate cocoa farmers are not accustomed to receiving giant sums of cash at once. There is no such thing as an emergency with a diagnosis of autism. The camera catches a masked African man dashing into the jungle, a submachine gun in one hand and Lomus gold bar in the other. A talk with George Wright and Scott Lomu about "Jungle Gold" Season 2, the move to a new night and the reality of "gold fever." . (Raw declined to comment on the incident.) One day in Ghana is more dramatic than this entire freaking episode!. They had first heard about the show in July 2012, while the cast and crew were still in Ghana filming Season 1. The men worked 18-hour days, commuting two hours over rutted dirt roads through poverty-stricken villages. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous American Football Player George Wright's net worth is $1-5 Million at the age of 72 years old. I think it would shock a lot of people to hear how encouraging they are, and how supportive they are. From [], Do the Alaskan Bush People get paid? George Wright and Scott Lomu will risk it all to strike it rich as part of a golden plan to recover from losing everything in the real estate crash of 2008. He went to a meeting but he'll be back I'm sure. The disclosure threatened to derail the season. Large-scale licenses begin at around $3 million, putting them out of Wright and Lomus price range. We encountered a lot of stuff thats never been shown on TV. G: When the show gets edited they are continually making editing choices between our daily life choices and events. Bering Sea Gold, a new offshoot, was averaging 3 million viewers a night. [], On May 1 one day before the first anniversary of Operation Neptune Spear, the special operations mission that led to the killing of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden Discovery Channel will premiere the one-hour special Secrets of Bin Ladens Lair. Villagers routinely set up roadblocks and demanded hundreds of dollars to pass. We were hemorrhaging money, Wright told me. In this weeks episode, the pressure continues to mount. Scott and George test out a brand new claim after racking up huge debts on the Romaso gold mine. We saw mining as an opportunity and used our cash to purchase some equipment. The heart and soul of this amazing piece of equipment are the people, Wright narrates. But they had not received permission from the Minerals Commission to film mining lands. It mostly comes down to the bravest of us all which is our wives they support us 100 percent. If the global gold price plummeted, many more would leave Ghana voluntarily, depriving poor mining villages of what had become a crucial source of support. The next day, Joy FM dispatched its Kumasi correspondent, Erastus Asare Donkor, to gather reactions to the story in the citys streets and markets. How is the gold market lately? How Does the CBS True Lies Series Compare to James Camerons 1994 Movie. I like him every once in a while (laughs) its just really hard to trust him. It was shown because it's the main way of gold recovery in Africa, what they didn't show in the show was us trying to get our workers to wear gloves, our seeking for other separating methods that ultimately we didn't have money for at the time etc. It was a humbling experience. For former real-estate entrepreneurs, George Wright & Scott Lomu, the answer was Ghana. Not a land owner. On Oct. 15, 2012, more than two months after the meeting, the synopsis arrived. Within minutes, the team slipped through customs and boarded a 30-passenger jet chartered by Discovery. Based on the interview, My Joy Online, Joy FMs heavily trafficked website, published two short but searing articles about Jungle Gold on May 9 and May 10. When I visited Romaso months after Wright and Lomu fled, a cocoa farmer whod witnessed the fight told me it had been painful to watch. But its neocolonial echoes had caused Ghanaians at home and abroad to accuse Wright and Lomu of exploiting Africa for their personal gain. Since small-scale mining is reserved for Ghanaians, he assumed the Americans were mining illegally. I feel that resonates with people on a pretty personal level. Fahiakobo was hit hard by the June 2013 crackdown. The episode catalogued a series of ugly confrontations, including an illegal roadblock, the tense argument with tribal chiefs, and a risky back alley gold deal. FYI, for our show specifically, it is 200 hours of content for 43 minutes if show. Because it really is a joke how nave and unprepared these douche bags really are. As the coastline faded in the distance, Wright leaned across the aisle. What sort of feedback do you get from viewers about the show? Edit: added second related question. All times AEDT (GMT +11). But we like to think our presence is making a difference. Whether the Information Services Department had instructed Raw to seek the commissions approval is unclear; the permit protocol for foreign documentary film crews in Ghana was somewhat vague in 2012. We are Scott Lomu & George Wright, We can't speak to other reality shows but are happy to share about ours and what it's been like. Our first thought was always: Didnt you guys see the show? I thank my parents. Lomu had heard that Americans could expect to buy gold in Ghana and resell it in the U.S. for a profit approaching 20%. Scott and I know we could have done better. Onscreen, an overweight guy with a wizardly goatee was struggling to fix the motor of an excavator. Other scenes needed no stage-managing. Scott: Things have been getting pretty tense in Ghana because our show has shed a lot of light on a lot of illegal mining activity happening in Ghana. miners were regularly killed or injured thanks to unsafe practices, Queen: Fans fall in love with MAFS wife, MAFS husbands vile boys night act exposed. When I watch the gold mining shows (especially the Alaska one) it seems no different to me than simply taking the money to Vegas and playing blackjack. Seconds later, a gunshot rings out. We kind of shed a pretty big spotlight on the activities of illegal miners in Ghana. Their families reaped the rewards of their hard work as both men enjoyed the American dream. It was terrifying, it was really scary, Wright admitted. After rainstorms, locals with nothing else to do had taken to searching the gutters for specks of gold. When Lomu proposed gold dealing in Ghana, Macias needed no convincing. In 2009, Macias was working as a private security contractor in Afghanistan, but hed grown tired of war zones. Reeling from the news, Lomu flew to Utah the next day. ET) give the term "gold diggers" a literal spin with this reality show, now in its second season. So what do you watch instead? Ready to get to work in Africa!, Jungle Gold may have enraged Ghanaian ex-pats and officials, but it was a hit with Americas 1849-year-old demographic. By August 2012, more than two months into the shoot, the stars joint venture had found only a few ounces of gold. I personaly found it entertaining and interesting. Missionaries first arrived in Ghana in the 15th century, but the Mormon church was not established in West Africa until 1978, when it reversed a long-standing policy barring black men from the priesthood. If anyones going to make money from gold digging here (other than corrupt officials, thieves and the Chinese government), they at least have a shot. His first radio story, which cast doubt on the Americans legal status, aired the first week of May. Once we did, we got back in touch with him and he had land available still, and from there it was just kind of the beginning of Im not going to say a beautiful relationship, because Im not a huge fan of Dave. I don't watch the show, but I'm curious if it makes an attempt to discuss the environmental impacts (bulldozing forests, polluting water with mercury and arsenic, etc.) Haha! It was clearly time to go. It brought back a lot of stressful memories, Wright said. We didnt want them to present Ghana as a lawless place where foreigners can come and engage in illegal mining, he explained. Ask something else I can answer. Lomu responded by saying the things that happen on the show are 100% real, though he allowed that it's a tv show and things will get overly dramatized. But the robbery, which cut the season short at Episode 7, offered a convenient end to a story that was spiraling out of its creators control. Alerted to the situation by Raw, series producer Christo Doyle set up a "war room" as the cameras rolled. And yet they also felt a strange sense of calm. Not everything works out how you want it to, said Wright. We were like, This is the kind of operation we want to be a part of! Lomu said. Tay, who at 53 resembles an older version of the actor Idris Elba, grew up in Accra before embarking on a mining career in his thirties. But Wright doesnt regret fighting back. (Both Discovery Channel and Raw, which was acquired by Discovery in 2014, declined to comment for this story.). We were in panic mode. Wright found work translating Spanish for an Arizona-based equipment supplier bidding for contracts in Colombias mining sector. Focused on the action, the show failed to explain the complicated licensing process, causing many to assume they were mining illegally. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting . English. Lomu and Wright didnt head to Africa with dreams of reality TV stardom, and it seems having a camera crew around when youre trying to work is more of a pain than anything else. There is no law against foreigners mining in Ghana, anyone can mine in Ghana granted they use a licensed agent. This was met with disappointment in the first 5 days of our trip to Africa because it's not even CLOSE to easy to get cheap gold in Africa, they know the price of Gold better than anybody! Back in Ghana, things were no better. Wright and Lomu had never imagined they would end up mining for gold in Ghana. And yes, I have heard many of them are gone. Laborers were shown polluting water bodies with mercury, which is used to recover gold from other minerals. In June, they produced a series of short videos to show prospective investors. When I visited Aboagye in his cluttered office the following year, he told me hed requested a synopsis of the program the crew planned to make. (The agency did not respond to questions about the status of its investigation.). Aboard a two-story mining dredge as it plies the brown waters of the Amazon jungle, he captures Guyanese miners laughing and telling jokes over lunch. George: I think this all would have ended a long time ago had our wives and our children, and even extended family and close friends, not been so supportive. Proof: https://twitter.com/JungleGeorgeVI/status/365907125215576064 https://twitter.com/JungleGoldScott/status/365907460332068864, Edit: We are going to keep this open. Months before the shoot, Lomu had paid a village chief $12,500 of his Utah investors money to secure a 25-acre plot of land an hour outside the town of Dunkwa, the epicenter of Ghanas gold rush. Filming at home. It now occurred to him that theyd simply resumed filming after the August meeting. Ensurge Inc. announced that Scott Lomu and George Wright have accepted positions as members of the company's management team. But like gold miners throughout history, a mixture of delusion, pioneering instinct, and financial desperation drove them to it. Tweet. Taxis that once passed every 10 minutes, shuttling miners to work, now came a few times per day. Whatever it is, thats what we realized they were saying I wish I could do that. Meaning that dream. How, in less than a year, did its cast and crew get accused of everything from manipulating Ghanaians to murdering them? Coincidentally, Discovery had recently reserved a Russian helicopter to take aerial shots of Wright and Lomus new excavator as it trundled into Fahiakobo. #Colonialism, good job discovery channel youve made a reality show about the rape and theft of african natural resources #junglegold #kinglepold. The entire landscape of the mining industry over the last year has changed dramatically, and so we encountered a lot this season. We hope it's a win-win. Lomu peeked out the compounds window, half expecting a military convoy to break down the gate and haul them away. The series chronicles the continuing efforts of former real-estate dealers George Wright and Scott Lomu . Watching the videos, I got the sense that Wright and Lomu, regretful over Jungle Gold, were trying to redeem themselves by portraying Guyana in a flattering light. Broke and demoralized, the three men abandoned their nascent mining operation in October 2010. Months later, on March 6, 2013, Wright posted a photo on Instagram of Raw interviewing Lomu outside a Utah diner. viewers. It may have been their worst nightmare, but it made gripping TV. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Visionary entrepreneur and leader. The show not only increased the chances theyd be recognized, he thought, it also provided a detailed map to their Season 1 mining claim, which lay on the same road as Fahiakobo. So Literally Ask US Anything, we can't spoil the upcoming season, but anything else is fine. Ref: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1124.html Upon meeting me, hed asked hopefully if I was with Raw, heralding the return of Jungle Gold. But their return to Ghana was to be even more troubled than round one. mining operations. He had some access to some land that Scott and I were needing, if we can come up with the money, so we had to come back home and figure out how were were going to do that. Am I supposed to feel bad for their debt as they exploit Africans? It was a typical move: Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, was one of the earliest African countries to declare its independence from colonial rule in 1957. Fortune seekers George Wright and Scott Lomu know there are no rewards without risks, but even the gold-mining stars of "Jungle Gold" weren't prepared for the danger they and the show's crew faced . And one of their original crew had taken his own life. After a month of waiting, Alan Reece, the mining foreman, contacted the landowner for an update on his application. Take a good look, Scottie, he said. Desperate for cash, he recruited two men he thought would make enthusiastic gold dealers. Season 2 of Jungle Gold premiered in the U.S. on Aug. 11, 2013. But Alan Reece, a Guyanese mining foreman the men had befriended, discovered a promising alternative in the nearby village of Fahiakobo, a hilltop settlement of around 30 mud huts flanking a red dirt road. Cameras or no cameras, we went out there to provide for our families and I feel we let them down with some wrong decisions We didnt properly plan.. Edit 2: It's September 18th 2013, I just went through and caught up with most of the questions here. management team. Is this show supposed to be a comedy? Many people crumble with the fame and do really stupid outrageous things. To raise the rest, they decided to deal gold in the jungle. George Wright and Scott Lomu of Discoverys Jungle Gold (Sundays at 10:00 p.m. But, you will find Ghana a fantastic country. Still, the acceptance of Mormonism in Ghana today belies a troubled history. But with the chaos of Season 1 fresh in mind, Discovery had imposed new conditions for Season 2. The Companys business plan also includes bringing capital and A soaring Mormon temple, one of only three on the continent, sits in the heart of Accras commercial district, surrounded by European embassies. He is from . Theres more chance if drippy wife getting off her ass and getting a part time job, Dru kelly why so bitter? But their new status as wanted men made riveting TV with little effort. They watched as the title card flashed onscreen to the sounds of an explosion and a screeching howler monkey. Upon arrival, the cast and crew had paid the landowner $50,000 and set up camp on the villages perimeter. So now I'm just leaving this thing open . Back in 2009, Scott Lomu and George Wright, two clean living Mormons, were trying to find a way to make money after suffering huge losses when the housing bubble popped the year before. And I think thats evidenced as anything by the things that Scott and I have been doing. 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