The Curse of Oak Island is one of the longest-running reality shows on the History Channel, with Craig Tester playing a major role. The show focuses on Rick and Marty Lagina, two brothers who are on a mission to find historical artifacts and treasures on Oak Island, which is located in Nova Scotia.
The twelfth season of the series began on November 12, 2024, and continues to follow the brothers as they try to solve the mystery of the island.
The Lagina brothers are joined by a diverse group of people who help them on their search, which has led to spinoff shows like The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down and Beyond Oak Island.
While many of these cast members have gone off to pursue their own projects, Rick and Marty are supported by a core team, including Dave Blankenship, Jack Begley, and Craig Tester, whose role in the series is crucial.
Craig Tester Is Marty Lagina’s Business Partner On The Curse Of Oak Island
He’s Also Important In Planning The Oak Island Digs
While the Lagina brothers are the main focus of the show, Craig Tester plays a very important role in The Curse of Oak Island. He helps decide where to conduct future digs on Oak Island and is a valuable consultant whenever the team faces challenges. Craig has been an important part of Marty Lagina’s life for years, as they were college roommates and are now business partners.
Craig Tester has been part of the show since it began, having appeared in 180 episodes so far.
Marty Lagina and Craig Tester have been friends and engineers for many years, working together on several businesses since the 1980s, when they co-founded Terra Energy, a gas and oil company based in Michigan.
More recently, they are co-founders of Heritage Sustainable Energy, a company focused on developing wind farms as a renewable energy source with an emphasis on environmental impact. Tester also owns a portion of Oak Island, along with the other members of the team.
Craig Tester’s Net Worth Explained
Craig Tester has been involved in several businesses over the years, which has helped him become a successful entrepreneur. In addition to co-founding multiple businesses with Marty Lagina, Craig Tester owns a share in the Oak Island Tours business, which operates while The Curse of Oak Island is airing. On top of that, he owns part of Oak Island itself, which suggests that Craig Tester is doing quite well financially.
Whether they are focused on history or not, the best shows on the History Channel have earned high ratings on IMDb.
Craig Tester’s net worth is estimated to be between $2.5 million and $5 million (via Distractify), which is quite impressive. While Marty Lagina is probably the main reason people watch The Curse of Oak Island, the show might not have happened without Tester supporting Marty for so many years. It will be interesting to see how long The Curse of Oak Island continues, and hopefully, Craig Tester will remain part of it.
This reality TV series follows brothers Marty and Rick Lagina as they search Oak Island for historical artifacts and treasure. The show records their efforts to uncover the island’s mysterious secrets, looking into theories about its hidden riches and past attempts to find them.
Craig Tester and Marty Lagina have been business partners for many years
Craig Tester has been working with Marty Lagina for many years. In addition to their work together on The Curse of Oak Island since 2014, Craig and Marty have been friends for decades. They were college roommates at Michigan Technological University in the 1970s, where they both studied mechanical engineering.
Now, Craig, an expert in drilling and resistivity, works in the energy business with his former roommate. Marty, also an engineer, owns Oak Island Tours Inc. (which Craig owns a part of) along with a vineyard and a wind turbine company.
The wind turbine company, Heritage Sustainable Energy, based in Traverse City, Mich., is the latest business venture for the two. Craig works as vice president and manager of Rock Management Group, where he uses his BS in Mechanical Engineering to manage the development of wind farms and the company’s long-term strategies.
Before Oak Island Tours and Heritage Sustainable, Craig and Marty co-founded an oil company called Terra Energy. The company focused on finding and developing natural gas resources in Michigan and successfully produced over $3 billion in oil and other resources.
The large profits from Terra Energy, along with income from Oak Island Tours Inc., Heritage Sustainable, and his paycheck from the History Channel, have all contributed to Craig’s significant net worth.
Craig Tester’s Wife
Craig Tester has been married to Rebecca Tester for possibly several decades.
Rebecca had two children, Jack Begley and Madeline Begley, from her previous marriage before she met Craig.
Together, Craig and Rebecca have a son named Drake Tester.
Craig Tester’s Son’s Death
Drake Tester was born on July 17, 2000.
He attended Children’s House school from a young age until 6th grade.
Drake was also part of the choir and was on both the track and cross-country teams at Traverse City Central High School.
He lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Drake appeared in two episodes of The Curse of Oak Island:
- Season 3, Episode 5, “Disappearing Act”
- Season 3, Episode 7, “The Missing Peace”
Sadly, Craig and Rebecca lost their son Drake in 2017.
At the time of his death, no cause was provided for why Drake, who was only 16, passed away. Later, it was revealed that Drake had been born with a seizure disorder. He had struggled with seizures his entire life, and they ultimately led to his death in 2017.
The show’s executive producer, Kevin Burns, shared a tribute after Drake’s passing:
“To say he was loved is an understatement. Drake was cherished.” He added, “His enthusiasm was infectious. His potential was limitless. Unfortunately for us, his time was far too short — but his legacy will be lasting.”
On March 31, 2017, Oak Island Tours Inc., the company behind The Curse of Oak Island, posted a message:
“It is with extreme sadness that Oak Island Tours Inc. confirms the passing of Drake Maxwell Tester, younger son of Craig Tester, best friend, and brother of Jack Begley.”
Fans have wondered if Drake’s death could be connected to the mysterious Curse of Oak Island, which suggests that lives must be sacrificed before the treasure on the island can be found.
After his son’s tragic death, Craig shared that he would be stepping away from the reality show for the rest of the season.
“I think of him every day — I think of him always out here. I wish he could be here helping us, so it’s been a tough year,” Tester said. He continued, “It’s time for me to head on home and help my wife, who’s struggling through this too.”
[Updated: 04/03/2025]
