According to his Discovery bio, Tony Beets is renowned for his gruff manner and unreserved ribaldry. He initially appeared in "Gold Rush" during Season 2 as an advisor to miner Todd Hoffman. However, Beets became a full-time cast member in Season 4. That's when he and Parker Schnabel first crossed paths. In the beginning, the two were tight. Beets mentored the fledging prospector when he took over the reins of Big Nugget Mine. But things turned sour after Beets leased some land to his mentee.

Outsider reports that Schnabel cut a deal with Beets to mine on an airstrip he owns. He hoped to extract thousands of ounces of gold and make a tidy profit. However, he quickly learned that the royalty payments structure Beets wrote into the lease agreement meant that the harder he worked, the less he earned. Schnabel discussed the dodgy deal during Season 9 of "Gold Rush."

"The royalty rates have to change," he said. "After 6,000, we're paying 25% royalties. On 8,000 ounces, we give Tony Beets almost $2 million. And frankly, I'd go broke doing that." The year before, Schnabel had quit mining the leased land once he hit the 6,000 mark to avoid handing over all his profits to Beets. Something he didn't want to have to do again. However, after a heated exchange, their beef really began.

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