gold fever

noun2

1. •
   A feverish obsession with seeking gold ore; an era (figuratively an epidemic) during which this obsession grips a large number of people.

   • He caught a real bad case of the gold fever that was going around at the time.
   • That was during the gold fever, when strangers descended on the town and all the shovels were plum sold out at the general store.
2. •
   (figurative) An excessive craving for profit.