Airing for greater than 20 years, The Wonderful Race is broadly thought-about one of many finest actuality TV sequence, and a brand new season goes to be hitting the 2025 TV schedule. The present does an awesome job of following the journeys contestants take world wide, and Phil has by no means shied away from asserting prizes on the finish of challengers or seasons, however given the time required and all of the various prizes concerned, I’ve at all times questioned how a lot do The Wonderful Race contestants make?
The reply is, effectively, sophisticated, however there are fairly just a few issues we learn about what occurs through the season, in addition to the whole prize. Let’s check out what may occur if CBS loves your audition tape at some point, too.
The Huge Prize On The Wonderful Race All the time Stays The Identical
Whereas the ultimate leg(s) of TAR have been very totally different through the years, the top end result is identical. Every season, the primary group to see each contributors attain Phil and contact the mat earn the $1 million greenback prize. This quantity is oft-repeated on the sequence, although through the years the present has made loads of adjustments to the methods the ultimate legs have performed out on the present. Final season, for instance, there have been no non-elimination legs for the primary time, so somebody went house each single episode.
Usually the present has competed in groups of two (except for a really memorable household season that includes a younger Stassi Schroeder, who later starred in and was fired from Vanderpump Guidelines.) This is a crucial distinction as a result of not each twosome that competes is a married couple, which implies prize winnings are sometimes break up in half, with $500,000 going to every contestant. Then it’s a must to think about American taxes, which nonetheless must be paid regardless of profitable the cash throughout the globe, with specialists in various states estimating the federal government pulls a cool $300-$350,000 from that million complete.
That’s nonetheless not too shabby, although, as contestants (doubtless) take house round $350,000 apiece or so. The truth is, the Holderness’ admitted just a few years in the past in a podcast that after taxes they took “slightly over half” of the prize cash house.
Talking of Season 36, nonetheless, boyfriends Ricky Rotandi and César Aldrete took house the massive prize, however additionally they took house far more than simply the massive prize, because of dominating challenges as different as dancing theatrical performances and welding. The couple truly gained 7 of the 11 complete legs, and 6 of these had been earlier than the finale.
How Further Compensation Works On The Wonderful Race
The truth is, there are two routes to extra cash and prizes on The Wonderful Race. The primary is to — and I am going to borrow a phrase from my different favourite actuality TV sequence Survivor — outwit, outlast and outplay the opposite contestants within the race. How does this work? The longer you make it on the present, the upper the money payout from CBS.
Early on within the sequence throughout Season 6, one outlet discovered the eleventh place contestants solely took house $1500 as a duo, which is admittedly not loads to separate between two individuals and have taxes taken out. The cash continues to climb from there although the longer contestants are on the present. In that very same season (through Males’s Well being), the second place group took house about $25,000 in extra cash whereas the third place group took house $10,000.
Given Season 6 occurred in 2004, there’s each purpose to suppose these numbers have modified over time, however in contrast to Survivor contestant salaries, TAR tends to maintain the numbers means underneath wraps. An Australian model of the present in 2024 did notice that prize packages for that model of the sequence different wildly, with Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe allegedly taking house round $350,000 whereas extra contestants took house between $50-$75k for his or her appearances. It is price noting this was a star version of the present out of the country, however it does present how salaries can differ broadly.
Which brings us to the ultimate option to “earn cash” on The Wonderful Race. The present typically has prize packages starting from money quantities to free journeys and even vehicles that may prolong the goodies contestants can take house in the event that they win particular legs. In fact, these prizes additionally include a caveat; like The Value is Proper and different prize-specific reveals earlier than them, contestants should pay taxes on these prizes.
One of the distinctive prizes the present gave out got here in Season 8, the Branson household gained “free fuel for all times.” Patriarch Wally later clarified that really meant $1,200 in fuel for 50 years, and to make it much less of a trouble, BP and Arco truly let the household money out after one yr.
Contestants Are Paid In Publicity — And A Journey Round The Globe
Some well-known names have chosen to take part in TAR through the years, together with The White Lotus’ Mike White, Huge Brothers’ Rachel, Alison, Survivor’s Rob and Amber and so many extra. Some athletes have competed as effectively, together with Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly, professional eater Joey Chestnut and a slew of former NFL and NBA stars, amongst others. Hopefully there will likely be extra notable names to come back.
Even for many who aren’t well-known earlier than the present, fan-favorites can generally construct followings on social media or land exterior alternatives after their time on the present. Then, after all, there’s the entire level of The Wonderful Race: the distinctive alternative to journey world wide with somebody you like (or a minimum of hopefully like.) The actual prize is the priceless expertise.