How Much Money These 11 Survivor Contestants Have Today

While it may be hard to believe, the reality television series "Survivor" has been on the air for 24 years. That's 700 episodes within 48 seasons since premiering in 2000. Navigating social dynamics and learning to work together to achieve a goal makes the show relatable, but of course, the million-dollar grand prize adds excitement — and you can bet that the money has changed the lives of many Survivor contestants today.

"Survivor" has been a total cash cow for CBS, with early sponsors paying $150,000 per ad in the first season, before CBS recognized the show for the hit it was and notched up the price power ad to $600,000. For the second season in Australia, interested sponsors were being quoted $14 million for a standard package consisting of 30-second ads, product placement, and a banner on the series' website. While not on the level of what networks pay for NFL games, that's still impressive. The reality-based nature of the show keeps production costs lower than most television shows, at $2 million per episode and a single million-dollar prize. That adds up to a lot of profit for a series over two decades old that 77 million viewers are willing to pay $4.99 to $9.99 on Paramount+ to watch. Here's how some contestants have cashed in on their fame.

Richard Hatch etched his name into television history as the inaugural winner of "Survivor: Borneo" in 2000, claiming the show's first $1 million prize. However, his financial journey following this landmark victory became a cautionary tale rather than a success story. Hatch's post-win actions were dominated by an ultimately disastrous oversight — his failure to pay federal income taxes on the prize money. This neglect triggered significant legal consequences, including conviction for tax evasion and signing a fraudulent tax return in 2006 leading to a 51-month stint in federal prison. His legal troubles didn't end there; he also faced an additional nine months of prison time in 2011 for neglecting to amend his 2000 and 2001 taxes. Unfortunately, Hatch never learned how millionaires avoid paying taxes without breaking the law.

The consequences appear to have been financially catastrophic, with financial losses related to prior relationships — Hatch lost the home he owned with his ex-husband after their divorce due to several years of neglected property taxes — and the requirement to pay back taxes and penalties, completely gutting the original $1 million prize. Instead of securing his future, as per Celebrity Net Worth, Hatch's current net worth is $200,000. This is a testament to how quickly winning significant money on a show like "Survivor" can be totally eclipsed by one of the worst financial crimes a celebrity can commit. The prize money, rather than being a foundation for wealth, proved to be an anchor dragging him into financial distress and imprisonment.

Candice Smith (Woodcock) competed on "Survivor: Tocantins" (Season 17), finishing in 11th place. As a non-winner eliminated before the jury phase, she did not receive any of the show's major prize money. However, Smith is a successful lawyer, which is one of the highest paying jobs in the U.S. So while there's no significant "Survivor" prize money to mention, Smith can still boast a net worth that places someone in the upper class according to Just Jared, which is reportedly $1.5 million. Incredibly, this is entirely unrelated to the show's winnings, and aside from her legal practice, is probably bolstered by acting roles in "Entourage" and "Hawaii Five-0."

Smith also appeared on the long-running classic game show "The Price is Right" as one of the modelesque "Barker's Beauties." According to Tuko, Rachel Reynolds — one of the longest serving models on "The Price is Right" — earned around $600,000 per year on the show. A Los Angeles Times article from December 2000 quotes Janice Pennington, a decade-long fixture on the show, as earning $2,000 per week, or $104,000 per year. Assuming that Smith earned somewhere in the range of $104,000 to $600,000 per year, in addition to her legal career, it becomes clear how she's made out better than Survivor winners like Richard Hatch.

Robert "Boston Rob" Mariano, a legendary figure across six seasons of "Survivor," achieved the ultimate goal by winning "Survivor: Redemption Island" (Season 22) and its $1 million prize. He also won $100,000 as the "Sprint Player of the Season" during "Survivor: All-Stars" (Season 8). Mariano and his wife, fellow "Survivor" winner Amber Brkich, are the series' power couple. As per WTLX19, Brkich's win on "Survivor: All-Stars," preceded by Boston Rob's marriage proposal, added $1.25 million in prize earnings and two brand new cars to the couple's net worth. Their wedding was even a two-hour CBS television special, and while we don't know how much they earned for that, we do know, as per TheThings, that Boston Rob earned an estimated $1,305,500 over the course of the series for appearance fees in other "Survivor" episodes and show reunions.

The couple leveraged their "Survivor" fame into successful brands through subsequent reality TV appearances on other shows including "The Amazing Race," "Deal or No Deal Island," "Rob and Amber Get Married," and "The Traitors." Boston Rob also owns a television production company called Murlonio Productions, and sells autographed merchandise and clothing, and publishes books — The Boston Rob Rulebook and The Boston Rob Family Favorites Cookbook — including a personalized message, if you're willing to pay more for the privilege. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Boston Rob is worth $2 million today, while Celebrity Net Worth places Brkich's net worth at $1.3 million.

Despite being one of the most strategically dominant players in "Survivor" history across multiple seasons, and even appearing on "Australian Survivor," Russell Hantz never claimed the $1 million prize. His highest achievement was as the runner-up on "Survivor: Samoa" and "Heroes vs. Villains" where he also received the $100,000 "Sprint Player of the Season" award for both. This combined prize money of over $200,000 could've been the seed capital for reinvestment into his, and his brother and father's existing oil services business, Russell Hantz Petroleum Services, or his Lafayette, Louisiana bar, Bootleggers.

Hantz masterfully leveraged his immense notoriety from the show, regardless of not winning, to promote his business ventures and launch reality TV projects like "Flipped Off" on A&E with his brother Shawn. His fame obviously became a business asset that paid off handsomely. As per Celebrity Net Worth, his entrepreneurial drive and his ability to capitalize on the infamy gained through the show has resulted in a substantial net worth estimated at $2 million. 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck finished in 4th place on "Survivor: The Australian Outback." Although she didn't win $1 million on the show, Hasselbeck wisely used the significant platform and recognition gained from "Survivor" as a springboard into a highly successful television career elsewhere. Shortly after the show, she landed a coveted co-host position on the daytime talk show "The View" in 2003, a role she held for 10 years. This launched a long-running career in television journalism, including a subsequent role on "Fox & Friends" in 2013, which she did for two years before taking time off to be with family. Hasselbeck is a published author, with books about her experiences navigating celiac disease and her Christian faith. As it turns out, she's also the author of national and New York Times bestselling children's books "God's Masterpiece" and "Flashlight Night."

According to Celebrity Net worth, Hasselbeck earned $3 million per year hosting "The View" and "Fox and Friends." She used much of that wealth to make big real estate moves through her purchasing of several million dollars worth of real estate, particularly in a state where retirement is costly. As such, Elisabeth Hasselbeck's estimated net worth is $16 Million today.

Jeff Kent, a former National League MVP, played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and several other baseball teams before retiring in 2008. Kent participated in "Survivor: Philippines" but, as the eighth person voted off the island, he didn't win the $1 million prize. For Kent, whose primary career was Major League Baseball, this winning pot was negligible income. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kent had already amassed his fortune over a stellar 17-year MLB career, earning over $89.2 million from 1992 to 2008. While $86 million of that was just his salary, several million came from endorsements, which dwarfs how much the average influencer makes on a good day. Kent's current net worth sits at $40 million.

Kent has been charitable in the past too, donating $500 for every home run drive in the 1998 baseball season to Women Driven, an initiative that gave scholarships and promoted the upside of sports to young women at the University of California at Berkeley. He raised $114,000 for the program that year. This could've also provided a little-known tax deduction for Kent, which would benefit his net worth. That said, Kent's controversial $15,000 donation to a campaign to ban gay marriage in 2008 sparked some outrage and wasn't necessarily well received by LGBTQ+ baseball fans.

Legendary two-time Superbowl winning NFL coach, sportscaster, and analyst Jimmy Johnson joined "Survivor: Nicaragua" for fun, although he ended up navigating health challenges during the season. Like a few on this list, Johnson didn't actually need the million-dollar prize as he was already quite financially well off by that point. If you know how much NFL players who win the Super Bowl make, it might give you a sense of how winning coaches do financially too. Television sponsorships and cameos in "The Shield," "Coach," and Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy" just comes with the territory. Johnson diversifies his investments through the ownership of restaurants in Miami and Key Largo, and real estate, which is just one of a few tricks the wealthy use to protect and grow their fortunes. Unfortunately, Johnson would also learn the hard way, thanks to the destruction of his home by Hurricane Irma, why buying a house in certain Florida cities could cost you. Of course, with a net worth as per Celebrity Net Worth, of $45 million, Johnson was better off than a lot of other Floridians with much less resources to muster.

Heidi Strobel, now Heidi Hamels, didn't come in first on "Survivor: The Amazon", she definitely finished first in life. Like the other most successful people on the show, Hamels parlayed her "Survivor" fame into brief media opportunities, including a Playboy spread. She's the owner of a music publishing and artist development company called twelve6, and a fitness influencer and brand. Her fitness app with training programs is available and will cost you anywhere from $12 to $24.99 to access. However, the most significant factor influencing her current financial status may have been her marriage to former Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, who also appeared on the show that season.

Celebrity Net Worth supports Cole Hamel's net worth being $105 million, primarily earned by playing baseball, with the same displayed for Heidi on JustJared. making most of Heidi Hamel's earnings negligible within the context of their shared multi-million dollar fortune. With that much money between them, they likely have a few genius money tips for married couples to impart.

Brendan Synnott competed on "Survivor: Tocantins," but he didn't win the $1 million prize. Synnott was, however, already an established and successful entrepreneur before appearing on the show, being the co-founder of Bear Naked Granola. While Synnott failed to win the million-dollar prize on the show, he would go on to thrive without it. Synnot sold his co-founded Bear Naked Granola business to the Kellogg Company in late 2007 for, as per TheRichest, for $80 million.

In 2011, he founded another company called PACT Apparel, which utilizes organic cotton to make high-quality and comfortable clothing that is as eco-friendly as it can be. JustJared puts his net worth at $80 million.

Matt Von Ertfelda emerged as the runner-up on "Survivor: The Amazon" (Season 6), which didn't earn him a million dollars, and didn't earn him the sort of brand name recognition that allowed others on this list to pivot their career trajectories significantly. However, unlike many of the others on this list, Von Ertfelda built his net worth the old fashioned way according to his LinkedIn profile — working his way up the ranks. Becoming the Vice President of restaurant and bars for Marriott International in 2005, he became Vice President and Global Team Lead for Marriott International in four years. By August 2020, he was the Senior Vice President of Global Food and Beverage operations for Marriott International, before taking a career break in January 2025 to "pursue personal adventures around the globe."

Von Ertfelda's financial success is clearly attributed to his business acumen after his "Survivor" appearance, demonstrating how he used the show's visibility as a catalyst for his career, rather than relying on the prize money as his financial foundation. While Ertfelda's actual salary is unknown, the Marriott Careers portal reveals a salary of $215,775 to $401,500 per year, depending on location, for a managing Vice President role of Global brands. As a Senior Vice President, it's fair to say Ertfelda was likely making even more, in one of the highest paying jobs in his industry. Certainly, enough to take personal time off to travel the world. 

David Samson holds the distinction of being the first person voted out of "Survivor: Cagayan" as well as being the highest net worth player in the show's history. Samson is currently the President of the Miami Marlins, and built a long career in athletics as an Executive Vice President in Major League Baseball. Samson has leveraged this experience into his Apple podcast show "Nothing Personal with David Samson" in 2019, as well as hosting CBS Sports HQ and CBS Sports Network where he offers sports analysis and explores sports MLB related stories.

According to TheRichest, David Samson's net worth sits at around $200 million, making the million-dollar "Survivor" price look like a pittance by comparison. Samson continues to diversify his income streams with public speaking. As per Celebrity Talent International (CTI), the cost of Samson speaking at your event starts within the range of $40,000-$74,999, but can go higher based on his popularity at the time. 

Tony Vlachos may not be the highest net worth individual on this list, but he is definitely among the most skilled and luckiest. Vlachos is just one of two "Survivor" contestants to win in two separate instances. Vlachos was the winner of Season 28 in Cagayan, and the second time, he walked away with a special $2 million prize for Season 40 "Survivor: Winners at War." Vlachos, inspired by how COVID-19 had disrupted the livelihoods of so many people, decided to use the money to fortify his financial situation. It was likely hard to not think about the pandemic, as Vlachos learned he won Season 40 from the comfort of his home while host Jeff Probst read the votes from his garage.

After his win, Vlachos state via YouTube, "I have mortgages on buildings, people can't pay their rent now, so with this money I'm gonna make sure I secure my family and be financially secure for the rest of my life." With what most Americans believe they'll need to save to retire, that's very prudent. As per Taddlr, Tony Vlachos' current net worth is $1.5 million.