Survivor is long overdue to raise prize money for winners

When Survivor debuted on CBS on the last day of May in 2000, no one would have ever guessed the show would still be going strong in 2024. They have aired 46 seasons and have filmed the next two seasons already.

One of the reasons the show has remained popular and hasn't gone stale over the years is because the producers have always been great about evolving the game over time. They've added new twists, introduced idols and advantages, all of which has kept the players and audience on their toes.

Survivor winners still only win $1 million

One area that hasn't changed at all over the two and a half decades the show has been on is the prize money for winners. Since the beginning of the show, the winner has been awarded $1 million. With the lone exception of season 40, Winners at War, which had a $2 million prize, all of the other seasons have had the same amount paid to the winner.

Come on, Survivor! According to an inflation calculator on Calculate Me, a $1 million in 2000 is equivalent to just $546,058 today. In essence, Survivor is paying out about half the money it was awarding winners when the show started.

After taxes, a winner takes home approximately $600,000, maybe even less. In today's world, while it is still a great chunk of money, it won't last very long. In the Midwest, that will buy a fairly decent home, but in LA, New York City, Boston, Chicago, and most other big metropolitan areas, it won't even cover a decent house.

That $600K could still be life-changing. It would likely wipe out all debt for most people, even student loans. It would buy a car, pay for a nice vacation, etc. You could stash some away for the future, and that's about it.

That's why it was so disappointing that some jurors on Survivor 46 based their vote on how the final three answered a question posed to them about what they would do with the money, which is a horrible question. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't THAT much money anymore. It won't go far, or last long.

Imagine if you worked 24 years at the same job without a raise. Your salary in 2000 might have been pretty nice, but in 2024, it would be a terrible salary for the same job. You can be certain Jeff Probst is making what he did in season 1!

Survivor needs to increase the winning of prizes (as does Big Brother and the Amazing Race). It's long overdue.