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. But in Ghana, as in other former colonies, a strong aversion to neocolonialism endures. The next few years were good for Wright and Lomu, who often exchanged tips about real estate deals. Literally, I have never been so scared, Wright told me. Scott Lomu is VP:Investor Relations at Ensurge Inc. See Scott Lomu's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. It's really frustrating because we have the same production company and we hear all sorts of stories about him, but all I know of him is the first tweet I sent to him when our show started was a thank you, "thanks for forging the way in gold show so that our story and show could have a shot, thank you!" Additionally, Mr. Lomu has been appointed as Chairman of the Companys Both men had worked in Utah's real estate market, had young families to support and debts piling up. But its neocolonial echoes had caused Ghanaians at home and abroad to accuse Wright and Lomu of exploiting Africa for their personal gain. As far as they knew, they said, Raw had all the required permits. James Weir recaps. Still, the acceptance of Mormonism in Ghana today belies a troubled history. 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 . Months after the evacuation, I found him playing cards beside one of Wright and Lomus $2,000 canvas tents, which hed been living in since they left. We met that guy a few weeks back. BLOCK! To raise the rest, they decided to deal gold in the jungle. Season 2 of Jungle Gold premiered in the U.S. on Aug. 11, 2013. We fell comfortable. One of them was Wright, whose entrepreneurial drive and years in South America Lomu saw as an asset. Scott Lomu and George Wright join our company. After averaging 2.65 million viewers a week during its first season on Discovery Channel last fall, Jungle Gold is back, having started Season 2 on Aug. 11 (now airing on Sundays). Scott Lomu and George Wright land at a rural airport in Kumasi, Ghana. The heart and soul of this amazing piece of equipment are the people, Wright narrates. Gold prices were high, getting equipment was cheap. As reggae music jingles in the background, Wright pans his GoPro across the sunny streets of Georgetown, Guyanas capital, remarking on its laid-back Caribbean vibe. The robbery scene was intense but definitely felt like the video was pulled off a little too well. So they turn to other means. But they soon discovered a more viable option: gold mining. G: Good question, for us this was nothing more than the right opportunity at the right time. Spoiler Alert, yeah, can't answer that, we were there for 4 months about. I personaly found it entertaining and interesting. Youre doing this all for your families. Jed Lipinski is a staff writer for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. But what you do with that really defines who you are.. Could their adventures be a reality TV show? Discovery had ordered 12 episodes, Wright said, but their abbreviated stay produced only enough material for six. This was a good start. Phone calls from furious Ghanaian expatriates poured in. Yet, at the same time, Ghanas small-scale mining sector had grown increasingly chaotic. 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. of this type of mining? We have estimated George Wright's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. No way. We say, Yeah, we travel back and forth between here and West Africa. And then they always said the same thing which I felt there needed to be some deciphering after theyd say it theyd always say, I wish I could do that. And I said, Well, I dont think you understand what youre saying. Gold miners George Wright and Scott Lomu sit down with THR to talk about the mistakes they tried not to repeat and why they keep returning to Ghana despite the life-or-death stakes. It's humbling to see the poverty that exists there. A heated argument ensued. There were things we didnt expect, things that normally wouldnt happen to us happened because the cameras were there, said Lomu. But nothing prevents foreigners from investing in small-scale companies owned by Ghanaians. They found almost no gold, sinking the last of their cash into the failed enterprise. RELATED: GOLD RUSH SEASON 4 PREMIERE DATE In Gold Rush South America, premiering Aug. 2 at 9pm ET/PT, Gold Rush crew leaders Todd Hoffman, Dakota Fred and Parker Schnabel take their operations to find new, gold-rich ground in preparation for Gold Rush Season 4, which Discovery says will premiere in the fall. In early August 2012, records show, several Raw crew members sat down with Joseph Aboagye, the Minerals Commissions stern director of policy, planning, monitoring, and evaluation. George Wright. The chief warned that if they fought the miners, they would be killed. Fahiakobo was hit hard by the June 2013 crackdown. I think our audience got younger and that could be because we were advertised heavily during Shark Week. Thats when we realized our tragedy was good for the show, Lomu said. The next morning, they passed through customs and boarded a privately chartered jet bound for Paris. To me, reality shows are like watching professional wrestling. In June, they produced a series of short videos to show prospective investors. 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. Judging from locals reactions to them, the show may indeed have been on the road to redemption. The California gold rush of the mid19th century coincided with the Mormon pioneers arrival in Utah. Read our interview with the Brown family. We work really hard and its really dangerous at times. This was never a get-rich-quick scheme. 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. Oh my word, they think I killed him, he said. God-fearing pair are now back in the game, trying their hand at mining in Guyana, on South America's Caribbean coast, posting hair-raising videos on Instagram . And though Mormons make up less than a quarter of 1% of Ghanas 25 million people, they hold a strong symbolic presence in the country. Viewers were shocked that Americans would broadcast illegal mining, and activists claimed throwing money at people unused to financial decision-making was a mistake. I got a chance to talk with the pair about how the show came about, how they feel about those that accuse them of faking and what their wives really think of what theyre doing. 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. While the landowner applied for a large-scale license, Raw had paid dozens of local men 40 cedis per day (around $20 in 2013, more than twice the standard rate) to dig 8-foot holes in search of gold deposits, a process known as prospecting. BOOM! When I asked what he and others had made of the predominantly white film crew in their midst, he shot me a confused look. George Wright in 'Jungle Gold' Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel. On Oct. 15, 2012, more than two months after the meeting, the synopsis arrived. Board of Mining Advisors. When the episode ended, he immediately decided to investigate Jungle Gold. technology to existing mining operations to recover gold from existing This is a tale of our times the new American Dream set in the jungles of Africa, the introduction read. Reece informed him that an armed militia had just attacked a group of miners near Wright and Lomus former mining site in Romaso. This show is 90% scripted, the laws they portray in the show are complete non-sense. Big fan of the show, one my friends is from Ghana and I got him watching the show as well. Alerted to the situation by Raw, series producer Christo Doyle set up a "war room" as the cameras rolled. Scott Lomu and George Wright, hapless heroes of Discoverys Jungle Gold, finally had to flee the country by plane to escape arrest and the armed militia who seemed to be pursuing them. That night, Wright and Lomu rendezvoused with the crew at the Golden Tulip, where everything began. Around 2.75 million viewers tuned in, making it the fourth most popular primetime cable show that Friday night. By the time the season ended, three Change.org petitions had called for the shows cancellation, drawing a total of 3,000 supporters from the U.S., Europe, South America, Australia, and across West Africa. Searching to find out more about George Wright? They needed to find money, fast. George Wright: Theres a lot of entrepreneurs out there that get in touch with us. In Jungle Gold, Discovery Channel's hit reality series, George Wright and Scott Lomu try their best to climb out of a mountain of debt.Their loyal families wait at home while the two toil away in Ghana, hoping to strike gold and solidify their financial futures. By this time, Ghanas mining industry was in chaos, with Al Jazeera reporting on the dangers of illegal mining, fuelled by widespread corruption. What the freak is this? Lomu shouted. And George and I think as a direct result of the show there are a lot of government and military raids on illegal mining camps, and there are a lot of robberies happening. Visionary entrepreneur and leader. . Our first thought was always: Didnt you guys see the show? His optimistic nature notwithstanding, Lomu saw more cause for hope in Ghanas relationship to Mormonism. They found it frustrating that Ghanaian ex-pats, many of whom were out of touch with the realities of Ghanas mining communities, criticized them for exploiting Ghanaians, when in fact, they said, theyd put unemployed Ghanaians to work. Broke and demoralized, the three men abandoned their nascent mining operation in October 2010. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. 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. In 2009, when Lomus father-in-law, a wealthy lawyer in Salt Lake City, suggested Lomu try dealing gold in Ghana, he latched onto the idea. The Chinese miners remained on the site, and Lomu forfeited the money he paid for it. Not to mention that the gold isn't all ours, what we pull out the local land owners and chiefs have a say in that and sadly, due to tradition and lack of education, people INSIST on using mercury. Primary Income source American Football Player (profession). We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. From [], Do the Alaskan Bush People get paid? But as Ghanaian mining activist Daniel Owusu-Koranteng told me, illiterate cocoa farmers are not accustomed to receiving giant sums of cash at once. At the time, Ghana, Africas second-largest gold producer behind South Africa, was in the midst of a modern-day gold rush. George Wright and Scott Lomu from Discovery's "Jungle Gold" visited the KCAL9 studios Friday to talk about season two of their hit show. So, so sad. WHEN two Mormons from Utah signed up to star in a reality show about gold mining in Ghana, they had no idea what they were getting into. But the. With Scott Lomu, George Wright. At the time, Wright and Lomu brawny, clean-living Mormons from Utah were in the midst of shooting Jungle Golds second season. They whine at how poor they are, yet no wife works (the husbands hardly do either) they live in big mansions, drive fancy cars? We didnt think it would make us look cool and it certainly didnt.. I like him every once in a while (laughs) its just really hard to trust him. How could I not show that?. Yeah, I just about hate the leads of #JUNGLEGOLD 8 min in. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://twitter.com/JungleGeorgeVI/status/365907125215576064, https://twitter.com/JungleGoldScott/status/365907460332068864, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDu1cQjqGaj-3wBYavW1Hg/videos, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=273569, http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS7g-l3-M5k. On Demand DVD New Releases Aug. 26-Sept. 1, The three crew leaders from Discovery Channels Gold Rush series will be featured in a limited summer series called Gold Rush South America, the network announced today. Building Element United to lead the mining industry to a profitable + sustainable future. Under Review. It's Africa's second largest gold-producing country, so finding the precious metal isn't the hard part. 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. Even way back then we kind of had a number saying, Okay, what happens if it goes this low, are we still good? Its still a viable business, and we believe it still will be for many years to come. Email. Gold dealing, they concluded, was a scam. In many ways, the cast and crew reminded Tay of the Chinese miners, whod come to the area three years earlier and boosted demand for taxis, food, clothing, and bottled water. Lomu and Macias worked construction for a Mormon homebuilder in Utah. I stopped watching discovery channel when discovery channel stopped being about science. It shows A side of us, and we're hoping to show another side with you guys. Don't miss the season finale of Jungle Gold on Discovery, featuring Food Insurance friend's Scott & George Shining Dawn- Jungle Gold's Scott Lomu & George Wright But, you will find Ghana a fantastic country. 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. Reeling from the news, Lomu flew to Utah the next day. The series chronicles the continuing efforts of former real-estate dealers George Wright and Scott Lomu . I believe its God who brought them to me, Alan Tay, who served as a handyman for Wright and Lomu during the Season 2 shoot, later told me. When I asked what they made of accusations that theyd exploited Ghana for their personal gain, the men insisted the opposite was true: They had done good things in the country and could have done even more if they'd been allowed to keep filming. Haha! Scott Lomu. Tweet. A lot of people are like, Oh theres a camera, well act like this, said Wright. They forfeited the cash and moved to a less profitable site. "We didnt exploit anyone. During a layover at JFK, he checked his voicemail and found it full of condolences from friends and family. But regardless of their portrayal onscreen, Wright and Lomu believed they had done more good than harm in Ghana. The new reality show Jungle Gold started broadcasting across Africa on MultiChoice's DStv from the . This, like so many other pathetic reality shows should go away forever. (The news site had failed to provide attribution for the murder accusation.). But that doesnt tell the full story. The men said they received tons of outraged tweets and Facebook messages, many from Africans in the U.S., accusing them of deceiving Ghanaians and raping the countryside. I think it would shock a lot of people to hear how encouraging they are, and how supportive they are. I think they just wanted us out of there, Wright said. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over 62,000 members in Ghana, the second-highest membership in Africa behind Nigeria. But with the chaos of Season 1 fresh in mind, Discovery had imposed new conditions for Season 2. Just goes to show how really gullible Hollywood thinks the viewing public is. Stars of Jungle Gold, George Wright and Scott Lomu, join MSNBC's Alex Witt to talk about their show. Jungle Gold is back, having started Season 2 on Aug. 11 (now . Former real estate high-rollers George and Scott regularly turned over million dollar deals. The series chronicles the continuing efforts of former real-estate dealers George Wright and Scott Lomu as they mine for gold in Ghana in an attempt to pay off the over $1 million debt they face in the wake of the real-estate crash. In the five years it takes a cocoa tree to fruit, he said, they often make poor decisions that cause them to be economically or physically displaced. The lure of foreign wages, he added, can incentivize village youth to drop out of school. Lomu knew his friend had experienced post-traumatic stress from his tours in Afghanistan. Watch part 1 unfold here: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm. He didnt even sound convinced himself when he said to the blonde Neanderthal that he was going back to Utah.for what? On the morning of May 10, 2013, George Wright woke up in the small Ghanaian town of Domenase to learn that the countrys largest media outlet was accusing him of murder. We initially we went to Africa with the last of our cash to flip gold, arbitrage, we hoped to buy it low and sell it for a bit more and create some velocity with that initial capital secured by a real asset the entire time. 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