When “Survivor” host Jeff Probst announced Kyle Fraser as the winner, it took some time for his new financial status to set in.
The 31-year-old attorney won the $1 million prize for season 48, with his winning moment at the final tribal council airing on May 21. Although filming wrapped in July 2024, Fraser has only been allowed to brag since last week.
“It’s incredible. The money is in the bank account — it’s so fun,” Fraser told Business Insider.
He’s also now free to spend his earnings. Fraser told BI that the prize money didn’t hit his account until after the finale aired. That’s when the real excitement began after the “difficult” 10-month period of waiting and keeping it a secret.
His checking account features a graph that tracks his wealth, Fraser explained. His graph went from the “gutter” due to law school debt to almost off the charts when the prize money hit his account.
“I was with my wife when it happened, and we were both incredibly excited,” Fraser said.
As his then-fiancée, he was allowed to tell Maggie Turner he won when he got home from Fiji along with his parents and brother. He shared the moment he told Turner on social media Monday.
“I told you I’d figure out a way to get rich somehow,” he told his wife in the tearful video.
He’s already used a chunk of his winnings to pay off some of his student loans with the highest interest rates. The rest of his financial plan includes helping his parents live a comfortable life and generating passive income.
“It’s really cool to be able to sort of see a bright future for my family and loved ones,” he said.
Fraser has a new outlook on life since leaving the show, and he’s interested in finding new ways to make money outside his law career. He mentioned public speaking gigs, investing, and writing a book (but that’s more for pleasure, he said).
“I love my job, but ‘Survivor’ opened my eyes to the fact that I could do a bunch of different things. That would be such a cool life to live,” Fraser said.
CBS confirmed to BI that “Survivor” players receive psychological, medical, and nutritional help when they leave the show. The network also confirmed that Fraser didn’t have access to the money until the finale aired.
Fraser told BI that he hired his own financial and tax advisors to plan for the next few years. It’s unclear if the $1 million prize was pre-taxed.
He said he learned to block out the noise after his time on the show, with so many diehard fans praising, criticizing, or debating his season. However, the winner said he marketed himself “in a way that everyone would agree is very well-rounded.”
CBS announced Wednesday that Fraser will return to “Survivor” for its 50th season, along with “White Lotus” creator Mike White and other veterans of the show.