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These ‘Survivor’ contestants won a million dollars. Here’s how they spent it.

Krdo · · 1693 words · By CNN Newssource
Financial management Philanthropy Reality Television Fame
open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2026/05/21/these-survivor-conte…

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Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

25 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 15
check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“winner Aubry Bracco walked away with $2 million — a surprise doubled pot courtesy of Internet sensation and superfan Mr. Beast”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (nj.com and others) confirm that Aubry Bracco won Survivor 50 and that MrBeast doubled the prize to $2 million.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Edge of Extinction is the 38th season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. Broadcast between February 20 and May 15, 2019 by CBS, the season featured eighteen cont…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Edge_of_Extinction
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Kaôh Rōng — Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty is the 32nd season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. It was originally broadcast by CBS between February 17 and May 18, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Kaôh_Rōng
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans is the fiftieth season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. It premiered on February 25, 2026, on CBS in the United States, and it is …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_50:_In_the_Hands_of_t…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Season 12 winner Aras Baskauskas... used it to start a hat business”
CORROBORATED
Both CNN and KRDO report that Aras Baskauskas used his winnings to start a hat business.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Blood vs. Water is the 27th season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season filmed in May–June 2013 and premiered on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, feat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Blood_vs._Water
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Panama — Exile Island, also known as Survivor: Exile Island and Survivor: Panama, is the twelfth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was fil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Panama
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor is an American reality television show, a derivative of the Swedish program, Expedition Robinson. It is broadcast on CBS and hosted by Jeff Probst. The first season, Survivor: Borneo, premier…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Survivor_(American_TV_…
+ 4 more evidence sources
info
“Five years after he won, he was $50,000 in debt.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is mentioned in the KRDO cross-reference, but other web search results for 'Aras' are unrelated to his financial debt (referring to software companies or musicians).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Blood vs. Water is the 27th season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season filmed in May–June 2013 and premiered on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, feat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Blood_vs._Water
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Panama — Exile Island, also known as Survivor: Exile Island and Survivor: Panama, is the twelfth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was fil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Panama
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Winners at War is the 40th season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. This season, filmed in May and June 2019, is the eighth consecutive season to be filmed in F…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Winners_at_War
+ 4 more evidence sources
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“he with his wife owns successful sustainable clothing company Christy Dawn”
CORROBORATED
Fast Company, Vogue, and other web sources confirm that Aras and his wife Christy Dawn founded the sustainable clothing company Christy Dawn.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth (born August 23, 1981) is an American reality show contestant who has appeared on several shows, including Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Micronesia; Survivor: South Pacific; Sur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Lusth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor is an American reality television show, based on the Swedish program Expedition Robinson. Contestants are referred to as "castaways", and they compete against one another to become the "Sole …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Survivor_(American_TV_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael David Skupin (; born January 29, 1962) is a convicted fraudster and child sex offender. Best known for competing on two seasons of the reality competition show Survivor, he became the first pe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Skupin
+ 4 more evidence sources
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“Ethan Zohn (Season 3)... donated the funds to help co-found the organization [Grassroot Soccer]”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Newsday and other web results) confirm Ethan Zohn used his winnings to co-found Grassroot Soccer.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ethan Zohn (born November 12, 1973) is an American motivational speaker, former professional soccer player, and reality television personality who won Survivor: Africa, the third season of the reality…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Zohn
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Celebrity Apprentice 4 (also known as The Apprentice 11) is the eleventh installment of the reality game show The Celebrity Apprentice, which premiered March 6, 2011. Country music star John Rich …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(American_TV_se…
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web search NEUTRAL — Not only did Ethan Zohn win season 3 of the franchise ( Survivor: Africa ), but he then used his million-dollar winnings to found an organization (Grassroot Soccer) dedicated to fighting HIV on the co…
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ethan-zohn-reacts-brutal…
+ 2 more evidence sources
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“Danni Boatwright (Season 11)... spent 10 grand on getting my dog Hondo a new hip”
CORROBORATED
KRDO and another web source specifically mention Danni Boatwright spending $10,000 on hip surgery for her dog, Hondo.
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web search NEUTRAL — Danni Boatwright (Season 11). “I had one big splurge and that was I spent 10 grand on getting my dog Hondo a new hip.Stapley said she used her winnings much like how she played the game — “cautiously,…
https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2026/05/20/…
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web search NEUTRAL — Danni Boatwright Wiegmann is an American actress, TV host, sports journalist, model and beauty queen. She was the winner of Survivor: Guatemala, the eleventh season of the reality television show Surv…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danni_Boatwright
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web search NEUTRAL — From hip surgery for dogs to Macallan shots in Dubai, Survivor champions reveal the wild ways they spent their winnings.
https://www.2oceansvibe.com/entertainment/survivor-contestan…
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“Earl Cole (Season 14)... started the Perthes Kids Foundation”
CORROBORATED
CNN, the Foster School of Business, and GOOD all confirm Earl Cole started the Perthes Kids Foundation using his winnings.
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web search NEUTRAL — Another benevolent winner, Cole took some of his winnings and started the Perthes Kids Foundation, which helps children with Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease, a degenerative hip bone disorder.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/20/entertainment/survivor-50-how…
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web search NEUTRAL — Survivor Story. With creativity and resilience, Earl Cole has triumphed over life’s challenges again and again.Cole created the Perthes Kids Foundation so that no one would have to face a rare disease…
https://foster.uw.edu/news/survivor-story/
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web search NEUTRAL — Perthes Kids Foundation aims to raise global awareness for children and families surviving Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, in addition to developing research grants for new treatment methods, providing su…
https://www.good.is/articles/perthes-kids-foundation
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“He also started the SMART Tire Company that in 2023 was featured in TIME’s Best Inventions for its airless bicycle wheel.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim appears in the KRDO cross-reference, but the provided web search results for 'Earl' are generic definitions of the noble title and do not mention the SMART Tire Company or TIME's Best Inventions.
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web search NEUTRAL — An earl has the title Earl of [X] when the title originates from a placename, or Earl [X] when the title comes from a surname. In either case, he is referred to as Lord [X], and his wife as Lady [X].
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl
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web search NEUTRAL — Earl is the oldest title and rank of English nobles, and it was also the highest, until 1337, when Edward the Black Prince was created duke of Cornwall by Edward III.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/earl-title
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web search NEUTRAL — The word "earl" comes from the Old English word "eorl," which means "warrior" or "nobleman." Earls typically hold land known as an earldom, but they may also hold other titles, such as baron or viscou…
https://lordship-titles.com/what-is-an-earl.html
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“Todd Herzog (Season 15)... started a toy making business!”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only the KRDO cross-reference mentions Todd Herzog starting a toy making business; no other independent sources provided confirm this.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Todd Herzog (Season 15) “I traveled the world and started a toy making business!”
https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2026/05/20/…
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“Parvati Shallow (Season 16)... opened a high-end boutique wellness center in Santa Monica.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.
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“He also built Maine Forest Yurts, a campground just west of L.L. Bean in Durham, Maine.”
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“Kim Spradlin (Season 24)... my husband Bryan and I bought our first fixer-upper and used the prize money to renovate it.”
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“Denise Stapley (Season 25)... invested nearly 100% of it for retirement and her daughter’s college education.”
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“John Cochran (Season 26)... spent an inordinate amount of money on a limited-edition yo-yo.”
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“Tyson Apostol (Season 27)... bought a Subaru”
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“Michele Fitzgerald (Season 32)... invested the whole thing.”
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“Nick Wilson (Season 37)... after he paid about $400,000 in taxes from his winnings he bought a small house, a truck and an engagement ring.”
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“Erika Casupanan (Season 41)... used my prize money to freeze my eggs.”
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“Maryanne Oketch (Season 42)... tithed 10% to her church, paid for her parents 30th anniversary trip to the Bahamas, flew to Australia in a business class seat and paid for her wedding and honeymoon.”
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“Mike Gabler (Season 43)... donate the entire one-million-dollar prize to veterans... donated his winnings to 25 organizations that help veterans and first responders.”
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“Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho (Season 44)... bought himself a king-size bed.”
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“Kenzie Petty (Season 46)... bought a house in the ‘burbs and invested the rest”
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“Rachel LaMont (Season 47)... paid off all her student loans, contributed to her nieces’ and nephews’ 529 education savings plans... co-founded a puzzle gaming company”
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“Kyle Fraser (Season 48)... bought her tickets to the second-to-last Eras Tour concert in Toronto!”
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“Savannah Louie (Season 49)... bought a couch for their new place and a Cartier watch”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.