How much prize money does the winner of ‘Survivor’ get? Season Finale

The advertised prize for winning Survivor is $1,000,000, but after taxes, the winnings shrink.

Survivor is not just a game of survival, it’s a battle for a substantial cash prize. The show generously compensates all contestants, or castaways, who make it to the final tribal council. Typically, each receives around $10,000 for the reunion show. The third-place winner can tack on an additional $85,000 (before taxes), with the second-place adding an extra $100,000. And, as previously mentioned, the first-place winner walks away with the $1,000,000 cash prize.

How does one win the game?

It’s all in the name of the game - to win the cash, you have to be the lone Survivor, meaning that a player must avoid elimination until the end.

How much have past winners taken home?

Let’s take a closer look at the earnings of past winners. For instance, a castaway featured in multiple seasons, Corrine Kaplan earned $45,000 during Survivor: Gabon and an additional $20,000 when she came in 12th in Survivor: Caramoan. Her earnings more than doubled in the first season because she made it to the final tribal council. This suggests that the show can be a lucrative opportunity, with most castaways walking away with anywhere between $12,000- $100,000, according to Cinema Blend.

Interestingly, it doesn’t always seem like people are after the money, or at least the producers ensure that it does not appear that way. Often, people cite personal challenges in their daily lives that they hope to overcome, meet others, or increase their confidence as reasons for signing up—the possibility of the prize money is a plus to the overall experience.

How many people tuned into the Survivor season premiere?

Survivor’s popularity is undeniable. The forty-sixth season, which premiered in February, drew in premiere drew in a live audience of around 4.9 million viewers on CBS, according to Programming Insider.