who profited the most from the california gold rush
California Gold Rush Recent scholarship confirms that merchants made far more money than miners during the Gold Rush.[100][101] The wealthiest man in California during the early years of the rush was Samuel Brannan, a tireless self-promoter, shopkeeper and newspaper publisher.[102] Brannan opened the first supply stores in Sacramento, Coloma, and other spots in the goldfields. Just as the rush began he purchased all the prospecting supplies available in San Francisco and re-sold them at a substantial profit.[102]
Australian gold rushes Edward Hargraves, accompanied by John Lister, found five specks of alluvial gold at Ophir near Orange in February 1851. Then, in April 1851, John Lister and William Tom, trained by Edward Hargraves, found 120 grams of gold. This discovery, instigated by Hargraves, led directly to the beginning of the gold rush in New South Wales. This was the first gold rush in Australia and was in full operation by May 1851,[70] even before it was officially proclaimed on 14 May 1851,[44] with already an estimated 300 diggers in place by 15 May 1851.[71] Before 14 May 1851 gold was already flowing from Bathurst to Sydney,[72] an example being when Edward Austin[73] brought to Sydney a nugget of gold worth Â£35, which had been found in the Bathurst District.[74]