RICK LAGINA’S Crew Just Got PAID From Oak island

The History Channel has followed two brothers, Marty and Rick Leino, as they attempt to uncover the truth of cursed Oak Island. Oak Island is just off the coast of Nova Scotia and is a mysterious place steeped in secrets and myths that have ties to the Knights Templar, kings, and pirates. There are also rumors that over 200 years ago, a pirate by the name of Captain Kidd left a hidden treasure.

The need to unravel the secrets of this cursed island began when the Legos were just boys, and now they and the rest of their crew have been on an 11-season journey to find the elusive treasure. However, as they search high and low for these treasures, one has to wonder how much treasure they are already in possession of and how they have been able to afford this elaborate hunt for so long.

American brothers and treasure hunters Rick and Marty Leino started their fellowship of the dig in 2006 when they started their search for the Oak Island Treasure. It is speculated that they took out loans and invited investors into their venture when they first got the funds to search Oak Island for its lost treasure. They were raised together in Northern Michigan and learned about the hidden treasure when they were just little boys. They read about it in a 1965 issue of Reader’s Digest and have clung to the dream ever since. Both brothers are very close, even with the completely different paths life took them on during their adult lives, having pursued completely different careers.

Marty Legina is the younger brother of Rick and a much more practical man. He is more skeptical about finding anything on the island, but he is also willing enough to dream and try anyway. He studied to become an engineer and founded his own energy company, Tero Energy, which he sold for $60 million. Marty also has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. He has a law degree and is a member of the State Bar. He has an enduring love of science and met one of his best friends and now co-star of the show, Craig Tester, in college. Marty is also the founder and CEO of Heritage Sustainable Energy, and his best friend Craig is the vice president of the company.

According to Salary.com, the typical yearly salary of a CEO of a company that size is around $600,000. To add an extra revenue stream, he is also the founder of Mari Vineyard, based in Michigan, where he also has a website from which anyone can order extremely affordable wine. Alongside his wine club, the events held there and the wine-tasting tours, he sells apparel, drinks, and accessories. His other investments are unknown aside from those made public, like funding other treasure hunters. An unconfirmed report claims that the brothers get paid around $100,000 an episode, and perhaps even more in reruns as they are executive producers on the show. This means that, with 25 episodes in a season, they are making $2.5 million per season. With this alone, we can calculate that, with 166 episodes of the show, they would have made over $16 million since they started filming the show in 2014. To add to this revenue stream, they are also available for speaking events, where their fee is a minimum of $5,000 for a speaking engagement. They also have multiple books out with excellent reviews, as well as merchandise like hats, shirts, and keychains on the History Channel website.

To add to this, the island has a tour company, Salty Dog Sea Tours, which is booked all the way through the end of April of this year, offering a very successful tour around the waters of Oak Island. An additional revenue stream for the crew of Oak Island means Marty could possibly have a net worth close to $90 to $100 million.

Craig Tester, the next prominent person on the show, is a longtime friend and business partner of Craig Tester, who built Tero Energy with Marty Leino. He is an expert when it comes to earth scans and drilling. Craig has been an incredible help when it comes to searching for clues around the island, able to recognize the significance behind every dig operation, and it is likely he made money from the sale of the energy company Tero Energy that he helped build alongside Marty Leino. In the show “Beyond Oak Island,” we find out that Marty, Craig, and Rick invest in other treasure hunters’ explorations with the hope that they find something of great worth and are able to make a profit on the investment. The sale of found artifacts and treasure can be life-changing, as they are able to get huge sums of money in the hundreds of millions, depending on what they find.

Not many treasures or returns on investments have been made public knowledge, but they do allude to investing large amounts of money. Craig is also the vice president and manager of a turbine company, Heritage Sustainable Energy. The salary of a founder and vice president of a company this size would be, on average, a quarter of a million dollars a year. In addition to this, Craig is also the manager of the Rock Management Group and has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. His net worth is likely closer to Marty Leino’s, around $80 to $90 million, as he was his partner in many business ventures like Tero Energy, Vineyards, and even Oak Island Tours. He has also appeared in 100 episodes of The Curse of Oak Island as well as one episode of Beyond Oak Island.

The men have been known to invest their own money into scouring the island for treasures and clues, but it is unknown how much of their millions have gone into this.

Alex Lagina, another member of the crew, is the son of Marty Lagina and nephew of Rick Leino. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is involved in his father’s businesses like the winery and energy company. There is also mention of his investments in real estate in Michigan. Alex Lagina is a very popular figure in the show because of his skill and intelligence when coming up with new strategies to find new treasures. He has been in 95 episodes of The Curse of Oak Island, 10 episodes of The Curse of Civil War Gold, and one episode of Beyond Oak Island. If we calculated that each episode paid him $100,000, he would have earned nearly $11 million. It is likely that he has also earned money from investments like those of his father, and other sites speculate that his net worth is as high as $50 million.

Jack Bigley, following the theme of being friends and family, is the next cast member of the Oak Island crew. He is the stepson of Craig Tester. He is based in Michigan, as most of the Oak Island crew seems to be, and he never hesitates to do the dirty work on the show. Jack and Craig are often working together on any digs on the island. When he isn’t working with his stepdad, he can be found with friend and fellow crew member Gary Drayton, a metal detectorist, around the island. Jack Bigley is a producer on the show and has been in 100 episodes of The Curse of Oak Island. Calculating this would give Jack a net worth of $10 million, without including his revenue as a producer from the syndication of the show. Of course, as he is only a supporting character, he is unlikely to make the same amount as the Leino brothers, so his net worth could be as much as half of that estimate. However, the show is not his only stream of revenue, as Jack owns his own company, Remote Energy Solutions, as well as being a drone pilot. A drone pilot is estimated to make over $100,000 a year, in addition to his co-ownership of a company that is estimated to make seven figures a year. His total net worth is estimated to be around $3 to $10 million as of 2024.

Gary Drayton is originally from England and taught himself the art of metal detecting. He has often helped the fellowship of the dig unearth many of Oak Island’s incredible treasures. Gary offers invaluable insight to the show and is featured in Beyond Oak Island as well. Given his connection to the greater world of treasure hunters, he has many of his own catchphrases on the show and is behind finding coins, semi-precious gems, and most significantly, a lead cross with ties to the Knights Templar. He has appeared in 150 episodes of the show, meaning he could be worth $15 million from show appearances alone. However, given his position as a side character, it is unlikely to be that high. However, he has written two books and found treasures himself, including rare coins, a ring made of emeralds and Inca gold, and even a Roman perfume bottle. Many sites estimate his net worth to be around $1 to $3 million.

Charles Barkhouse, another crew member who has been in as many as 93 episodes and is a fan favorite, is the Oak Island historian. Charles Barkhouse has lived and investigated the island for over 50 years, and he gives guided tours around the island as well as the Oak Island Museum. According to Alexina, he knows a lot about Oak Island and is one of the foremost historians of its legacy. Charles first started working as an adviser to the Leino brothers and is a production assistant for the show. A production manager can make anywhere between $66,000 and $115,000 a year, according to Salary.com. To add to his revenue, he is a published author. Aside from being known as a historian, the most interesting fact about him is that he is a Freemason and actually a Knight Templar himself. Some fans speculate that he is there to keep an eye on the island and lead the team away from finding the treasure. Of course, these theories are not believed by serious fans, and he is very well respected for his expertise, which he shares with visitors on the island as well as in segments of the show. Some even say Charles is the true treasure on Oak Island, whose salary as an Oak Island guide is estimated to be around $33,000. His deep roots on the island are appreciated and lend authenticity to their work on Oak Island. All of his show appearances, his book deal, production credits, and tour guide salary would put him in the range of around $2 to $3 million. This is taking into account that he would not be paid the same amount as the main characters in the show and because he does not appear in as many episodes.

Lead N, one of the most important members of the crew, is Lead Naven. He is an archaeologist and historic preservation expert who has been in over 117 episodes of the show. His skills are welcome as they rely on him to protect and explain some of the treasures and clues they find on the island. An archaeologist can make a salary of $46,000 to $100,000 a year, adding in the historic preservationist expertise, which as a career can make over $50,000 a year. Lead Naven’s expertise makes his salary more than double the average, to over $120,000. Lead Naven describes himself as a self-employed archaeologist and studied sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie University. But more than this important cornerstone of his identity, he is also a businessman. He is the owner of Insitultural Heritage Research Group, a company that provides archaeological research and historic preservation services that has been running for over 25 years. His company is internationally recognized, and his research group is said to be worth $22 million. His dedication to historical preservation efforts is well respected and acknowledged in the historical preservationist community. Like many of the crew on Oak Island, he gives a lot of interviews, seminars, and guest speaking engagements for different events and occasions. He is even slated to speak at the Chester Municipal Heritage Society’s annual meeting in May of this year. Given the prestige, respect, and expertise of Lead Naven alongside his many episodes on Oak Island, his net worth is estimated to be around $4 to $5 million at the lowest. Some estimates would place him at $16 million.

Rick Leino is the older brother to Marty, and he used to be a United States postal worker while living in Michigan. He learned to see the world in a very old-fashioned way. He lived by an old code of conduct where honor and determination meant everything. This is how he has been able to keep believing in his dream of finding the Oak Island treasure. A postal worker would make around $62,000 to $122,000 a year. While this is a good living, it is unlikely to be able to fund a treasure hunt of the size needed for Marty Leino’s renowned treasure hunting.