The winner of Survivor season 48 took home the grand prize of $1 million on May 21, while other contestants were also paid for their time on the reality TV show.

The Prize Fund

The winner of Survivor gets a grand prize of $1 million, but it's not all they receive. The winner has to pay federal and state taxes, which can take a significant chunk out of the prize money. As season 1 winner Richard Hatch found out, not paying taxes can lead to legal troubles.

Despite inflation, the prize fund has remained the same since season 1 in 2000. However, in 2019, the prize fund was doubled to $2 million for the 40th season, Winners at War.

Runner-Up and Third Place

The runner-up receives $100,000, and the third-place finisher gets $85,000. These amounts are confirmed by Corinne Kaplan, who appeared on seasons 17 and 26.

Do All Survivor Contestants Get Paid?

Yes, every contestant who appears on the show gets some amount of money, depending on how they placed and how many contestants were on the show. The amount of money a contestant wins depends on their placement and the number of contestants on the show. According to Kaplan, "the same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are," so if there are more contestants in a season, each person gets less money. The sooner contestants get eliminated, the less money they take home.

Kaplan explained that the first person voted out makes around $2,500, and the amount increases incrementally. Once contestants make it to the jury, their payout starts going up by $10,000.

Did Contestants Get Paid for the Live Reunion?

Yes, contestants got paid $10,000 to participate in the reunion, regardless of where they finished in the season. This was done to ensure that everyone showed up for the intense live reunion.

The Sia Prize

Singer Sia was not always happy with the winners of Survivor, so she decided to give her favorite contestants money. She started the "Sia Prize" in 2016 and continued it for eight years and 14 seasons, giving a total of over $1 million to her favorite contestants. However, the Sia Prize came to an end after season 46.

Among the winners of the Sia Prize were seven players who received $100,000 each, including Rick Devens (season 38), Elaine Stott (39), Janet Carbin (39), Drea Wheeler (42), Jesse Lopez (43), Carolyn Wiger (44), and Katurah Topps (45).

Check out the original article for more information on the Sia Prize.

Read more about Survivor and its contestants in our entertainment section.

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