May 20, 2026
Since the TV show “Survivor” premiered on CBS back in May of 2000, it has developed a cult-like fanbase of people who tune in every week and analyze every challenge, alliance and strategic move. And, as it turns out, Youtube star MrBeast — aka Jimmy Donaldson — is one of these superfans.
The finale of the show’s 50th season airs tonight, and this round has been chock full of twists and turns. While some of these twists got people voted out, others (like MrBeast’s appearance on episode 10) proved to be more lucrative.
MrBeast and his briefcase
MrBeast came to the tribal council portion of episode 10 of “Survivor” 50 with a briefcase in hand. Inside was a large coin dubbed the MrBeast Super Beware Advantage. One player could volunteer to flip the coin. If the coin landed correctly, that player would be safe from the vote and have an idol to use at future tribal councils. But most importantly, MrBeast himself would double the prize money to $2 million.
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If the coin-flipper failed to choose the right side, they’d be immediately voted out and the prize money would remain at $1 million, which it has been since the first season. Fan favorite contestant Rick Devens chose to flip the coin and he called “heads.” The coin landed on heads.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Devens said, “I was so confident. Like ridiculously, manically confident. I was at peace with the fact that if it didn’t come up heads, I’d be heading home, and okay, well, no one in 50 seasons has gone home the way I did. I can say they never voted me out, right? But, dude, I knew that coin was going to hit. I just knew it. It was like my whole life had led to the moment.”
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Catching up with the times
The “Survivor” prize has been $1 million since the show’s inception — the only exception being 2020’s 40th season that starred past winners, which also had a $2 million prize — so it’s worth wondering why they waited all this time to up the prize money again.
As The Hustle notes, $1 million in 2000 is equal in real value to about $519,000 today. Katherine Laidlaw, a writer for The Hustle, spoke to “Survivor” Season 49 winner Savannah Louie, who said she had to pay around $380,000 in taxes on her winnings. And of course, this year’s winner is likely to see a hefty tax bill as well.
Despite that, Louie told Laidlaw the prize money has granted her a sense of freedom, and she has invested most of it. “The biggest thing for me is just that feeling of security, of feeling like I can breathe,” she said.
Now we’ll all have to tune into season 51 to see if the show decides to keep up with inflation, or goes back to their humble $1 million prize.
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Em Norton is a Content Specialist at moneywise.com. They have been with the company since 2022.
