The History Channel has received an unusual facelift over the last decade. The factual network has increasingly become the home to unexpected reality programs and other alternatives to the History Channel's more traditional programming. Whether this is a healthy change for the network or not, it's undeniably brought them many new viewers and helped re-brand the channel into the current hodgepodge of sensibilities that it is now.
Even though many of these reality shows on History focus on more marginalized and niche ways of life, the stars of these shows are all doing pretty well for themselves. It can be easy to write off some of these shows or make certain assumptions about the people that fill these series, but it’s hard to argue with the popularity that they’ve found. It's even a little staggering how successful some of these personalities are.
15 Jacob Landry (Swamp People) - $500,000
Playing in the swamp means that people are going to get dirty, but even Jacob Landry, the lowest rung on the Swamp People power scale is still doing pretty well for himself. Jacob Landry doesn't stray too far from the family business, but even still he's worth a comfortable $500,000, which goes a lot further for someone with his tastes. It's a testament to the power of the Landry brand.
14 Steph Custance (Ice Road Truckers)- $800,000
Don't let anyone say that women can't be professional truckers because Steph Custance is living proof. Custance is one of the most refreshing and entertaining aspects of History's Ice Road Truckers. Custance unfortunately still doesn't make as much as her male co-stars, but a net worth of nearly a million dollars is no joke.
13 Troy Landry (Swamp People) - $2 Million
Troy Landry is a member of the proud Landry family, who have set up shop in Louisiana and turned their land into a goldmine. Troy wisely tours and does appearances around the country that capitalizes on the success of Swamp People. Troy makes $25,000 for each episode of Swamp People, which works out to a net worth of $2 million.
12 Hugh Rowland (Ice Road Truckers)- $2 Million
Hugh Rowland is one of the major players on Ice Road Truckers. The conditions that Rowland and company must brave are truly awful, which is why they bring in such a hefty sum for the dangerous work. Rowland may be well compensated, but his trucker days may be well past him. A vicious auto accident has left him in a very fragile state with the future of the series unknown at History.
11 Jordan Patrick Smith (Vikings) - $2 Million
The History Channel is the home for a lot of cheaper reality programming, but Vikings marked a major change for them as they headed into prestige scripted television. Vikings has been allowed to grow over the years, but since it employs actors and not personalities, the salaries are admittedly much higher on the expensive series. Jordan Patrick Smith, for instance, isn't one of the higher paid actors on the show, yet he's still worth $2 million.
10 Travis Fimmel (Vikings) - $3 Million
Travis Fimmel's Ragnar Lothbrok was a crucial character on Vikings for the show's first four seasons. The Australian actor did phenomenal work in the show and he hasn't struggled to find any work since exiting the series. Fimmel's history as a model also helps insulate his respectable net worth.
9 Corey Harrison (Pawn Stars)- $4 Million
Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison is Rick's son and one of the owners that operates the World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Corey's history with the business has been up and down over the years, but staying in the family business for so long has worked out for him. Between the earnings & treasures that he collects at his shop, the salary of Pawn Stars, and the number of appearances, History Channel has left him well off.
8 Frank Fritz (American Pickers)- $4 Million
Frank Fritz is one of the pillars of American Pickers and he's helped the show build up its strong reputation, between Fritz's work on the series and what he's been able to bring in from his vintage motorcycles and other finds. That being said, troubles with the law has led to Frank's exodus from American Pickers, even if he's still worth plenty.
7 Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Ancient Aliens)- $4 Million
Ancient Aliens is one of the most infamous programs on the History Channel, but it's undeniably built a strange following and reputation for itself. The show features interviews and dramatizations, but Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is the glue that holds it all together. The very recognizable host has helped turn Ancient Aliens into a sustainable brand and it's accumulated him a net worth of $4 million in the process.
6 Austin “Chumlee” Russell (Pawn Stars) - $5 Million
Austin "Chumlee" Russell may not biologically be a part of the Harrison family, but he's basically an unofficial member of the clan. He's worked at Gold and Silver Pawn Shop for years and due to this and his savvy in the field, he's accrued a net worth of $5 million. Unfortunately, Chumlee has had issues with the law, which have put him on a rocky road.
5 Mike Wolfe (American Pickers) - $5 Million
Mike Wolfe is one half of the team that created American Pickers and he's proudly turned his passion for digging through "trash" to help make him one of the richest personalities on the History Channel. Wolfe's attitude is completely genuine and he continues to do good will with it all. As a result of his commitment to "picking" and not slipping up, he's been able to succeed where others have failed.
4 Richard "Rick" Harrison (Pawn Stars) - $8 Million
Richard “Rick” Harrison is the patriarch of the Harrison family and the one who started it all with World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. It's not surprising that Rick's net worth is higher than that of his children and co-workers since he's been running the scene the longest. It was Rick's intense charisma that helped put their shop and their show on the map. Rick is worth around $8 million.
3 Gustaf Skarsgard (Vikings) - $8 Million
Gustaf Skarsgard is on the higher end of Vikings cast and it's not without good reason. Skarsgard brings a brutal intensity to his character, Floki, which makes his scenes some of the most powerful in the series. Additionally, Skarsgard has a rich acting career outside of Vikings, which has helped him achieve a net worth of $8 million.
2 Thom Beers (Ice Road Truckers) - $25 Million
Thom Beers may not be one of the flashiest stars on the History Channel, but he's been integral for the network. Beers works as a producer on many of History's programs like Deadliest Catch, Storage Wars, and Ax Men. Additionally, he's not only a producer on Ice Road Truckers, but also the show's narrator. Beers' sizable net worth is because he's involved with so many productions.
1 Marty Lagina (The Curse Of Oak Island) - $40 Million - $100 Million
The wealthiest figure out of all of the History Channel's programming is an honor that goes to Marty Lagina of Curse of Oak Island. Lagina is definitely the type of individual that would relish that news. Lagina is so lucrative because of the very island that the show is centered around. His net worth is at least $40 million, but some have speculated that it's even as high as $100 million.