Who profited the most from the Gold Rush of 1849?

If you are asking for a specific person Sam Brannan became the first millionaire in California.

But the largest profit was made by the U.S. government, with the expansions to the west, railroads, infrastructure - new cities blossomed and turned into metropolitan areas, everyone wanted gold so more and more people began to move over to the west. This is one of the reason America had such a wonderful industrial revolution during this period of time.

During the Gold Rush of 1849, the individuals who profited the most were often those who were already established in the mining industry or those who provided goods and services to miners. These included merchants, landowners, and investors who capitalized on the sudden influx of people to California in search of gold. Additionally, some miners who were able to successfully stake claims and extract significant amounts of gold also profited greatly from the Gold Rush. However, it's important to note that many miners did not strike it rich and faced harsh conditions and challenges during their search for gold.