Les Gold speaks out about the ‘death hoax’ after a ‘crazy’ rumor claimed the Hardcore Pawn star died.
With a new TikTok video showing him alive and well, reality TV star Les Gold has put to rest speculations that he died.
On Sunday, rumors concerning the star of TruTV’s Hardcore Pawn began to circulate, but they were immediately debunked.
With a new TikTok video showing him alive and well, reality TV star Les Gold has put to rest speculations that he died.
On Sunday, rumors concerning the star of TruTV’s Hardcore Pawn began to circulate, but they were immediately debunked.
“As you can see, I’m still alive,” Les stated in the video.
“But, I appreciate everyone’s remarks about how worried they were that I died.”
His son Seth Gold, who also appears in the show, videotaped the TikTok.
“We’re here to work. If you want to see it for yourself, come to American Jewelry and Loan, where you can truly see us die “He made a joke as he jabbed his father.
“The reports are unfounded!” they captioned the video. The storefront is in the city of Detroit, Michigan.
Les began working at his father’s pawn shop when he was seven and founded his own business in 1978.
In 2010, TruTV debuted Hardcore Pawn, which follows Les and his family as they navigate the business.
Since then, the business has grown in popularity as a tourist attraction. It’s also made money for Les, worth $5 million.
In 1975, the pawn star married his wife, Lilli. Their daughter Ashley runs her jewelry line, in addition to Seth, the shop’s manager and marketing mastermind.
Who is Les Gold?
Leslie Gold, born June 20, 1950, is a pawnbroker, reality TV star, author, and media figure from the United States. He is well-known for his role in the truTV reality series Hardcore Pawn, which airs on cable and satellite television.
Leslie “Les” Gold is a third-generation pawnbroker/salesman, the grandson of a Jewish pawnbroker who previously owned the now-defunct pawnshop “Sam’s Loans” on Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. At seven, Gold made his first transaction at Sam’s Loans. The Sam’s Loans building is being renovated into a pawn shop-themed restaurant called “Gold Pay Gold.”
Gold started his first company at 12 by purchasing pizzas and selling them by the slice to fellow Hebrew School students. In 1978, Gold started his pawn shop, American Jewelry and Loan, at the Green Eight Shopping Center on 8 Mile Road in Oak Park. He relocated it to its current home on Greenfield Road in Detroit near 8 Mile in 1993, a 50,000-square-foot structure that was originally a bowling alley. The company presently has 5 sites, employs up to 200 people, and serves approximately 1,000 consumers daily.
The truTV series Hardcore Pawn revolves around Gold, his family, and his pawn businesses.
Richard Dominick, an independent producer, saw Gold’s TV advertising during local commercial breaks of The Jerry Springer Show on television, which Dominick was working on at the time. He regarded Les and his company as having a promise for a reality TV show and contacted the Gold family with the concept. Seth, Les’s son, was hesitant, but Les overpowered him and consented to let the cameras in. The pilot episode aired in late 2009. Dominick’s co-executive produced the series with Mike Gamson. After the third season, Les and Seth Gold were listed as executive producers.
The series debut (August 16, 2010) drew two million people, breaking the record for the most-watched premiere on truTV. Viewership had surpassed 3 million as of June. In 2014, production was halted, and the show was canceled.
What Does Les Gold Do for a living?
Business Advice from a Pawnbroker, Gold’s autobiography, was published on June 1, 2013, by Penguin/Portfolio. The book is based on his personal experience with creating a successful pawn store, and it explains how he achieved it and how anyone in any area may “think like a pawnbroker.” Another entrepreneur Josh Linkner writes for Forbes about how he has benefited from Gold’s advice.
For the week ending June 30, 2013, the book was placed #4 on The New York Times bestseller list in the Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous category and #8 in the Hardcover Business Books segment for July 2013.
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