Glenn Villeneuve (2025 Update): Life Below Zero Star’s Wiki, Bio, Age, Wilderness Journey, Net Worth, Family, Divorce, and Alaska Life Today

Glenn Villeneuve is an American outdoorsman, subsistence hunter, and former television personality best known for his role on National Geographic’s Emmy-winning series Life Below Zero. Born in Vermont and self-educated from a young age, Glenn left traditional society behind to live off the grid in Alaska’s remote Brooks Range. His story is one of radical self-reliance, spanning decades of solo wilderness living, extreme survival, and a deep connection with nature.

From his earliest years roaming the forests of New England to walking 60 miles into the Arctic backcountry alone, Glenn transformed a lifelong vision into reality. After spending years preparing for his off-grid life, he made his permanent move to the Brooks Range in 2004. For nearly a decade, he survived in isolation—enduring brutal winters, subsisting on hunted meat and foraged plants, and raising a family in the wild.

Glenn rose to national prominence in 2013 as a central figure on Life Below Zero, where his raw and authentic lifestyle captivated millions. Beyond television, he continues to share his journey through public storytelling, aviation adventures, parenting updates, and endurance racing across Alaska.

Early Life and Childhood

Glenn Villeneuve was born on March 18, 1969, in Burlington, Vermont, and raised in Jericho, a small town nestled near the base of Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in the state. From ages 13 to 18, Glenn lived in a house overlooking this iconic mountain—a home that held many memories of his formative years. Prior to that, his family lived just a mile away.

From an early age, Glenn felt a deep connection to the natural world. He was equally intrigued by the wild outdoors and elements of pop culture, particularly music. While he loved exploring forests and listening to birds, he was also drawn to the energy of hard rock and heavy metal—a passion that led him and his brother to become members of the KISS Army fan club. This blend of nature and music reflected the broad range of his early interests.

He was the eldest of three children born to Ann and Ronald Villeneuve. Glenn’s siblings include his younger brother, Neil Villeneuve, and his younger sister, Sara Villeneuve. Their mother, Ann Villeneuve (née Langlois), was a compassionate and hardworking registered nurse who spent most of her career in home care and served as a Shared Living Provider for nearly two decades. She passed away on May 8, 2023. Their father, Ronald Villeneuve, was formerly married to Ann, and the family remained rooted in Jericho throughout Glenn’s early years.

One particularly memorable childhood experience was shared by Neil: when 10-year-old Glenn spotted a newspaper ad announcing a concert by the rock band KISS in Montreal. Although their mother preferred country music and wasn’t a rock fan, she didn’t hesitate. She took Glenn, Neil, and one of their sisters on a bus to the Montreal Forum to see the show—an act of spontaneous support that left a lasting impression on them and reflected her commitment to giving her children freedom and memorable experiences.

Glenn’s strong preference for the outdoors became apparent during his school years. He frequently skipped classes and ultimately left school without completing the fourth grade. Though he briefly returned for ninth grade, most of his education came through self-directed learning. Glenn proudly identified as “self-educated,” and immersed himself deeply in whatever interested him—ranging from aviation to wilderness survival.

At age 12, Glenn set out to hike the Long Trail across Vermont with his uncle. Though they halted the journey after a week, the experience lit a fire in him. The following year, at age 13, Glenn persuaded his mother to drop him off at their previous stopping point so he could finish the trail on his own. That solo trek marked a pivotal moment, reinforcing his love for solitude, self-reliance, and the challenges of the wild.

In his twenties, Glenn spent a pivotal summer living in a tipi in the Vermont woods, seeking a simpler, more intentional life. The solitude and daily connection with nature sparked deep reflection. It was during this time that he became fascinated with anthropology and traditional hunter-gatherer societies, immersing himself in books and ideas that challenged modern norms.

Journey to Alaska and Life in the Brooks Range

Glenn Villeneuve’s path to Alaska was born from years of introspection and a desire to reconnect with the land in its purest form. The spark ignited in 1997, during a summer spent living in a tipi deep in the Vermont woods. Immersed in books on anthropology and hunter-gatherer cultures, Glenn found inspiration in the simplicity and sustainability of ancient lifestyles. What started as a seasonal experiment soon evolved into a lifelong vision: to live intentionally and in harmony with nature.

Over the following years, Glenn took steps to make that dream real. He camped in tents, researched wilderness survival, and considered practical ways to sustain a life off the grid. One early idea was to become a bush pilot. He earned his private pilot’s license and worked briefly as an international courier, traveling the world with little more than a backpack. On a flight from New York to Tokyo, he gazed out at the wilderness of Alaska’s Brooks Range for the first time. The sweeping, roadless mountains left a lasting impression.

Determined to build a life there, Glenn first came to Alaska in 1999 with the goal of eventually living in the Brooks Range. He initially built a small log cabin in Fairbanks and made frequent trips north to scout possible homestead locations. As part of his preparation, he resumed flight training in Fairbanks. After securing his license, he piloted a small plane north over the Brooks Range to scout possible homestead locations. During one flight, he discovered a remote alpine lake, ringed by mountains and tundra, far from civilization. In the summer of 2000, he returned to the spot, set up a basic tent camp, and buried a 55-gallon barrel stocked with essentials—rice, beans, flour, oil, and hand tools—planning to one day return on foot and live there full-time.

That goal became reality in July 2004. Glenn sold his airplane, deciding that flying was incompatible with the subsistence lifestyle he envisioned. He packed his van and drove north from Fairbanks along the Dalton Highway—also known as the Haul Road—an industrial gravel road built to service the Arctic oil fields at Prudhoe Bay. Roughly 300 miles north of Fairbanks, he pulled off the road, left his vehicle, and set out alone on a 60-mile trek into the wilderness. His destination: the same lake he had discovered years earlier from the air.

Once there, Glenn retrieved his buried food barrel and began living out of the insulated tent he had previously set up. Slowly, he began building a small cabin beneath it using the plywood he had flown in. For the first couple of months, he relied on his stored supplies while learning to fish, trap, and adapt to the rhythms of the land.

By September, his food supplies had dwindled to a single bag of flour. That marked the beginning of his first full season of subsistence living. With a rifle in hand, he waited for the autumn cold to set in—knowing he could safely store meat once temperatures dropped. When the time was right, he successfully harvested a moose, processed it on-site, and constructed a 20-foot-tall meat pole using parachute cord and a compact pulley system. That structure became his natural freezer, keeping meat preserved through the long Arctic winter.

Life in the Brooks Range (2004–2013)

From 2004 to 2013, Glenn split his time between the Brooks Range and Fairbanks, spending anywhere from several months to over a year at a time in each location. He embraced an intense rhythm of solitude, hunting, and wilderness survival during his time in the bush—sometimes going over four months without seeing another human and once staying more than 15 months without returning to town. His routine included flying in food supplies to supplement his diet of moose, caribou, and foraged wild plants. At times, he lived entirely off the land, going nine months without any resupply. However, this extreme lifestyle also pushed him to the edge—especially during the winter of 2006–2007, when he experienced severe starvation and significant weight loss.

Despite these challenges, Glenn found deep fulfillment in the raw, demanding wilderness life. He continued to improve his off-grid cabin, which measured roughly 9 by 10 feet inside, with 5-foot walls and a center height of 7.5 feet. It began as a canvas wall tent with a wooden frame, later insulated and reinforced with rigid foam, fabric, and plywood—though it remained vulnerable to bears.

Outside the bush, Glenn managed business ventures in real estate and the stock market, which allowed him to sustain his wilderness lifestyle and support a growing family. This balance of rugged solitude and practical financial work became a key part of his rhythm.

Glenn’s introduction to Life Below Zero began in August 2012 while visiting a friend in Fairbanks. A mutual acquaintance gave him the contact details of a filmmaker he might want to connect with. Glenn sent an email, not knowing the recipient was involved with a reality TV show. At the time, Glenn had recently gone through a divorce and was spending the winter living entirely alone in the Brooks Range. That season of deep isolation—hunting caribou, sleeping under their hides, and reflecting on his new phase of life—was a turning point.

Eight months after sending the email, he received a message on his satellite phone. A conversation followed, and they began talking daily. Eventually, the executive producer of Life Below Zero flew to Glenn’s remote camp. Glenn guided him across the tundra, showed him around his cabin, and shared stories of subsistence life. They even encountered fresh grizzly bear tracks during the visit. Glenn had never seen a reality show before, but after watching a few minutes of Life Below Zero, he said, “I can do this.” One month later, filming began.

Life Below Zero Career

Glenn Villeneuve made his debut on National Geographic’s Life Below Zero in Season 2 and quickly stood out as one of the show’s most captivating and authentic figures. Based in the remote outpost of Chandalar—200 miles north of Fairbanks and 65 miles above the Arctic Circle—Glenn lived more than 60 miles from the nearest road. His lifestyle brought viewers into a world few dare to enter: one of extreme isolation, relentless survival, and a deep philosophical connection to nature.

Unlike others on the show who lived closer to towns or with family, Glenn spent years in near-total isolation in the remote wilderness, relying solely on his skill, grit, and creativity to survive. Eventually, he was joined by his ex-partner, Trisha and children, who embraced the same rugged lifestyle in the Alaskan wild. According to Glenn, their small cabin in Chandalar was carefully designed to accommodate all of them—Glenn used the lower bunk, Amelia slept on the upper bunk, and Agatha shared the space. A 12-volt battery powered their computer and satellite internet, and a 2000-watt generator recharged the system as needed. Despite the limited space, each person had their own corner in the wilderness home.

Summers, as Glenn explained, were the most difficult time of the year.Summers, as Glenn explained, were the most difficult time of the year. Big game like caribou were scarce, meat spoiled quickly in the heat, and preserving food was a constant battle. “You can spend as much energy and half a dozen fish out here as you can spend getting one caribou,” he said. On top of the food scarcity, swarms of mosquitoes made even the simplest tasks miserable: “If it wasn’t for these mosquitoes, I’d be running around naked.”

Glenn’s earliest appearances showed him enduring days without food, foraging green berries, and pushing himself to keep going. “Physically I’m tired, my feet are starting to bother me, and I have low energy just from not eating all day,” he admitted on camera. Yet even through fatigue and hunger, he pressed on—and caught fish by the end of the day.

As the seasons changed, so did Glenn’s challenges. He built an underground refrigerator by digging into gravel soil and insulating it with moss—an innovation born from necessity after a bear tore apart his sod house storage. When late winter arrived and temperatures began rising, he had to build a large meat drying rack out of tree trunks and frozen lake ice to preserve moose meat before it spoiled. The setup was carefully positioned outside his cabin where he could monitor it for wolves, wolverines, and bears.

Throughout the series, Glenn gave viewers a rare glimpse into the kind of knowledge that’s mostly been lost to time. He showed how to track and butcher a porcupine, harvest fat, and process the meat on the spot. “Fat’s hard to find out here,” he said. “But porcupines are one good source of fat.” Even if he was originally hunting caribou, Glenn appreciated the surprises nature offered: “I’ll head out thinking that I’m looking for one thing, but along the way I find something else.”

In one memorable moment, Glenn demonstrated how to make a caribou hide into a warm blanket. He meticulously scraped off fat and warble fly maggots, explaining, “You don’t just rip a caribou hide off of the caribou and start sleeping on it—it’s got to be cleaned up.” Sometimes he would even chew the hide, a traditional method passed down through generations. “Saliva actually helps it,” he explained. “Everybody used to work on hides. That was just normal way of life.”

His resourcefulness extended to his diet. To meet the extreme caloric demands of life in the Arctic, Glenn relied on moose bone marrow. He cracked open the leg bones of a young bull moose with rocks, extracting the fat-rich marrow. “I eat about a half a pound of fat a day,” he explained. “You actually get poisoned by too much protein… you have to get about 70–75% of your calories from fat if you don’t have carbohydrates.”

In another intense moment, Glenn had successfully harvested a moose and needed to retrieve the meat before predators found it. “Bears don’t go into hibernation till two or three weeks from now, so I definitely want my rifle,” he said while trekking 4.5 miles through deep snow. “If you come across a bear that’s on a food pile, they can be extremely aggressive.” Fortunately, when he arrived at the site, the moose was untouched: “There it is—looks good, just how I left it.”

Over the course of 85 episodes, Glenn became a symbol of rugged, off-grid living. He shared the screen with other Alaskan survivalists like Sue Aikens, Chip Hailstone, Agnes Hailstone, Andy Bassich, Eric Salitan, Jessi holmes.

Departure from Life Below Zero

In 2019, Glenn’s time on Life Below Zero came to an end. His final appearance aired on September 24, 2019, during the Season 12 premiere. In a heartfelt Facebook post the day before, Glenn wrote:

“Many of you who have already heard this news have asked me why. I don’t know the full answer, I only know that after filming my moose hunt last fall no one ever called me back about filming again. No goodbyes, no thank you for over 85 episodes, no explanations.”

He explained that after months without contact, he eventually learned that the production team had filled the schedule and had no further plans to include him. Despite the abrupt ending, Glenn expressed his gratitude: “I want you to know that I am grateful for all the support and feedback from all of you over the 6 years I’ve been on television.” He emphasized that the messages he shared resonated with viewers and promised to keep telling stories in other ways.

While disappointed, he continued to share meaningful insights and personal reflections from his life in the Brooks Range through social media.

Throughout his time on the series, Glenn continued his seasonal rhythm—splitting time between the solitude of his Brooks Range homestead and his base in Fairbanks. While he was often shown alone on camera, Glenn was not always alone in the wilderness. During earlier years, he lived in the Brooks Range with his then-wife Sylvia and their children, spending extended stretches together off-grid before alternating with time in town. After their separation, Glenn spent one full winter alone—an experience that coincided with his introduction to the show. Later, he continued his wilderness lifestyle alongside his ex-partner Trisha Wagner and their daughter Agatha, although they were not featured on the show. His older children, Willow Leaves and Wolf Song, also spent time with the family while they were in Fairbanks. This rhythm of balancing wilderness life with time in town allowed Glenn to maintain both his connection to the land and his role as a father and partner.

Net Worth and Income Sources

As of 2025, Glenn Villeneuve’s estimated net worth is approximately $1.5 million to $2 million. His income has come from a combination of sources:

• Television: Glenn earned a significant portion of his income from his role on Life Below Zero, where he appeared as a main cast member from 2013 through the debut of Season 12 in 2018.
• Real Estate and Stock Investments: Outside of his life in the wilderness, Glenn has been actively involved in real estate management and investing, as well as trading in the stock market. These ventures have provided financial stability and supported his remote lifestyle.
• Aviation Assets: In 2018, Glenn purchased a Cessna 185 bush plane, which he used for his travels between Alaska and remote regions like the Brooks Range. The plane purchase—along with flight training—reflects a notable personal investment in his independence and wilderness operations.
• Property Holdings: Glenn began with a one-acre lot in Fairbanks, purchased in the early 2000s for $6,500. Over time, he expanded his holdings to a total of 8 acres, added multiple cabins, and modernized his Fairbanks base. He also acquired adjacent land and removed outdated structures, replacing them with updated, more comfortable living spaces. His most recent cabin includes modern amenities such as an indoor shower, two toilets, and a fully equipped kitchen.
• Public Speaking and Media Projects: Glenn has occasionally participated in interviews, podcasts, and speaking engagements, which may also contribute to his earnings.

Personal Life

Divorce from First Wife and Children

Glenn Villeneuve was previously married to Silvia Daeumichen, a native of East Berlin, Germany. Silvia is an opera singer by profession and holds a master’s degree in the field. The two met in the 1990s while Silvia was vacationing in the United States. Despite Silvia’s unfamiliarity with wilderness living, she and Glenn quickly developed a deep bond. Their early adventures included spending a summer together on a remote lakeshore in northern Quebec.

In 2001, Glenn and Silvia got married and settled in Fairbanks, Alaska. Eventually, they moved even deeper into the wilderness, building a remote cabin near Chandalar Lake in the Brooks Range. During their time together, the couple welcomed two children: their daughter, Willow Leaves, born on May 9, 2006, and their son, Wolf Song, born on June 14, 2009. Both children were born in Fairbanks.

Glenn once recalled that Willow Leaves was born into his hands at the Fairbanks birth center. Less than three months after her birth, he and Silvia took her to their remote camp in the Brooks Range, where they stayed for the next 15 months. The first winter was especially harsh, with temperatures dropping to -60°F and food supplies running low. Glenn hunted caribou on a nearby island, and they eventually had to retreat higher into the mountains to escape relentless bugs. When they returned to Fairbanks in late 2007, Willow was fascinated by pavement—something she had never seen before after living only on bow floors and tundra. Glenn fondly remembered her waving and saying “hi” to everyone as they boarded a crowded plane to Florida shortly afterward.

After over a decade of marriage, Glenn and Silvia separated in 2012. The reasons for their split remain private. Silvia continues to live in the Cripple Creek area of Fairbanks with their children, while Glenn regularly visits them and maintains an active role in their lives.

New Relationship with Trisha Kazan

In 2014, Glenn began a relationship with Trisha Kazan, a woman from Massachusetts who also had a daughter from a previous relationship, named Amelia. Glenn and Trisha met on Facebook and chatted online for about three months before meeting in person in Alaska for a four-day visit. After just 24 hours together, Glenn took Trisha to his remote camp in the Brooks Range, a 200-mile flight from Fairbanks. They spent time canoeing and exploring the lake, and despite the thin ice and flurries in the August air, the experience brought them closer.

By the end of the visit, Glenn and Trisha had already decided that she would move to Alaska. Upon returning to Massachusetts, Trisha gave notice at work, sold her car and possessions, and prepared for the move. In November 2014, Trisha and her 5-year-old daughter Amelia relocated to Alaska to begin their new life with Glenn.

On July 22, 2017, Glenn and Trisha welcomed their daughter, Agatha Villeneuve, who was born in Fairbanks. The family shared several years together in Alaska, raising their children and adapting to wilderness life. By August 2022, Agatha was five years old and started kindergarten in Fairbanks. Glenn noted it as a milestone in her young life and credited Trisha for crafting Agatha’s school wardrobe and backpack from parts of a baby wrap she had once used to carry her.

However, in the spring of 2023, Glenn and Trisha’s relationship came to an end. According to a Facebook post by Glenn, Trisha and Amelia moved back to the Lower 48 and settled in Pennsylvania, while Agatha remained with Glenn in Alaska. Glenn has since taken on the role of a single father and continues to raise Agatha on his own, with support from friends and the local community.

In June 2024, Glenn shared that Agatha completed her longest hike to date—11.25 miles in just 4 hours—highlighting how far she had come from needing rides on his shoulders the year before. She was nearing her seventh birthday at the time, showcasing her growing strength and adventurous spirit.

Relationship with Shalane

In 2023, Glenn publicly introduced his new girlfriend, Shalane, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his personal life. Shalane introduced Glenn to cross-country skiing—a sport that quickly became a central part of his routine. On November 28, 2023, she took him on his first skiing lesson. Despite falling often and facing early challenges, Glenn embraced the sport with enthusiasm. Over the winter of 2023–2024, he skied 59 times, eventually mastering the discipline. His dedication culminated in 2025 when he completed his first 100-mile ski race—the White Mountains 100—in 17 hours and 17 minutes.

Shalane herself is an accomplished athlete. In January 2024, she won the ski division of the 200-kilometer Fat Pursuit endurance race in Idaho, completing it in 25 hours and 35 minutes. She also shattered the women’s course record for the White Mountains 100 in 2025, finishing in 11 hours and 43 minutes. Throughout 2024, Glenn and Shalane raced together in various events, including the Usibelli Series, where they won the mixed-gender division of the Two-Way Torture Test half marathon and placed first overall in their respective categories.

Glenn also took part in a series of competitive races that reflected his growing passion for endurance sports. In March 2024, he competed in the Chena River to Ridge 26-mile ski race, placing 9th out of 15 despite -29°F temperatures. Later that month, he skied the Sonot Kkaazoot 10K race, placing 22nd overall out of 73 and 2nd in his age group—an impressive result for only his 13th day on skate skis. By June 2024, Glenn ran the grueling “Masochism on Moose Mountain” 4.5-mile trail race and placed 11th overall while finishing neck and neck with a competitor. Shalane set a new women’s course record of 36:51 in the same event.

Running became another shared pursuit for the couple. Glenn ran multiple 5K and 10K races in Fairbanks, frequently placing first in his age division. At the 2024 Chena River Run 5K, he placed 16th out of 538 overall and 1st in his age group. In June, he competed in the Midnight Sun Run 10K, finishing 33rd overall out of 3,453 runners and again winning his age division. In July, he joined Jessie Holmes and Jaz Jones at Chena Hot Springs after placing 5th in the Run ‘n Soak trail race—cutting nearly eight minutes off his previous time.

Glenn Villeneuve Wiki/Bio Facts Table

Full Name	Glenn Villeneuve
Date of Birth	March 18, 1969
Age	56 years old (as of 2025)
Place of Birth	Burlington, Vermont, United States
Hometown	Jericho, Vermont
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Occupation	Subsistence hunter, reality TV personality, public speaker, stock investor
Known For	Life Below Zero (2013–2019)
Education	Self-taught (left school after 4th grade; briefly returned for 9th grade)
TV Debut	October 29, 2013 (Life Below Zero Season 2)
Years Active (TV)	2013–2019
Off-Grid Lifestyle	Full-time in Brooks Range since 2004; 15+ months alone during some stretches
Homestead Location	Brooks Range, Alaska (remote alpine lake near Chandalar Lake)
Cabin Details	9×10 ft, hand-built, insulated with foam, plywood, and fabric
Pilot License	Yes (Private Pilot Certificate); owns and flies a float-equipped Cessna 185
Real Estate	Owns property in Fairbanks and multiple structures at Brooks Range camp
Other Work	Investments in real estate and stock market to support wilderness lifestyle
First Wife	Silvia Daeumichen (m. 2001, div. 2012)
Children with Silvia	Willow Leaves (b. 2006), Wolf Song (b. 2009)
Partner (2014–2023)	Trisha Kazan
Children with Trisha	Agatha Villeneuve (b. July 22, 2017)
Stepdaughter	Amelia (Trisha’s daughter)
Current Partner	Shalane (2023–present)
Ski Racing Career	Began 2023; finished 2025 White Mountains 100 in 17 hours, 17 minutes
Notable Gear	Cessna 185 floatplane, self-built cabin, meat pole system for wild game storage
Estimated Net Worth	$1.5–2 million (2025)
Main Income Sources	TV earnings, real estate, investing, public speaking, guiding (planned)