rCySurvivor 49rCO Winner Savannah Louie Reveals 6-Figure Amount She Owed the IRS for $1 Million Prize
By Kaitlin Simpson
May 7, 2026
Savannah Louie got real about the shocking amount of money she owed to
the IRS after winning Survivor 49.
rCLIt is painful, itrCOs actually devastating. I have already paid my taxes, obviously, from the past year and I think of that $1 million I paid
about $380,000,rCY Savannah, 32, said during a Thursday, May 7 appearance
on the rCLFinancial Tea With Mrs. Dow JonesrCY podcast. rCLIt was a punch to the gut.rCY
The former newscaster explained that the prize amount was rCLmore moneyrCY than she had rCLever made in a year.rCY
rCLTo sign a check over essentially for that high, it was unreal,rCY she reflected. rCLIt hurts.rCY
Savannah also acknowledged she was rCLgratefulrCY to live in Atlanta, Georgia, and not in a state with high tax laws like California. (Georgia
has a flat income tax system with a 5.19 percent rate while California
has the highest income tax rate at 13.3 percent for high earners.)
While Savannah was rCLconfidentrCY about doing well in her first Survivor appearance, she was not thinking about the aftermath of potentially
winning.
rCLI went in very confident rCa but at the same time, I wasnrCOt necessarily in the mindset of where IrCOm like rCyOh I gotta financially plan for that money,rCOrCY she quipped.
Savannah isnrCOt the only Survivor winner who has addressed paying taxes
on their prize money. Earlier this year, season 48 champion Kyle Fraser poked fun at the circumstance on Tax Day 2026.
rCLMe after paying taxes on the prize money today,rCY Kyle wrote via an April TikTok video.
The clip included the lawyer in a bathrobe sitting in a ball with his
hands shaking while Reba McEntirerCOs song rCLIrCOm a SurvivorrCY played in the
background.
rCLThis is satire, and IrCOm glad to do my civic duty EfyU,rCY Kyle added in the
caption.
Kyle, who resides in Brooklyn, has not publicly revealed how much he
paid in taxes.
After winning their respective seasons, both Kyle and Savannah were
asked back to compete on Survivor 50. Both former winners ended up
leaving the competition early. Kyle was medically evacuated on day four after tearing his Achilles tendon. Savannah, for her part, was the
second person voted out.
Earlier this month, the remaining Survivor 50 competitors got some good
news after Rick Devens successfully activated Mr. BeastrCOs Super Beware Advantage via a coin flip. The twist doubled the prize money to a
whopping $2 million. Devens, Aubry Bracco, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, Cirie Fields, Joe Hunter, Rizo rCLRizgodrCY Velovic and Jonathan Young remain in the game to fight for the prize.
Survivors airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Source: https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/survivor-49-winner-savannah-reveals-how-much-she-paid-the-irs/
On 5/8/2026 5:55 AM, Brian Smith wrote:
rCySurvivor 49rCO Winner Savannah Louie Reveals 6-Figure Amount She Owed the
IRS for $1 Million Prize
By Kaitlin Simpson
May 7, 2026
Savannah Louie got real about the shocking amount of money she owed to
the IRS after winning Survivor 49.
rCLIt is painful, itrCOs actually devastating. I have already paid my taxes,
obviously, from the past year and I think of that $1 million I paid
about $380,000,rCY Savannah, 32, said during a Thursday, May 7 appearance >> on the rCLFinancial Tea With Mrs. Dow JonesrCY podcast. rCLIt was a punch to
the gut.rCY
The former newscaster explained that the prize amount was rCLmore moneyrCY >> than she had rCLever made in a year.rCY
rCLTo sign a check over essentially for that high, it was unreal,rCY she
reflected. rCLIt hurts.rCY
Savannah also acknowledged she was rCLgratefulrCY to live in Atlanta,
Georgia, and not in a state with high tax laws like California. (Georgia
has a flat income tax system with a 5.19 percent rate while California
has the highest income tax rate at 13.3 percent for high earners.)
While Savannah was rCLconfidentrCY about doing well in her first Survivor >> appearance, she was not thinking about the aftermath of potentially
winning.
rCLI went in very confident rCa but at the same time, I wasnrCOt necessarily
in the mindset of where IrCOm like rCyOh I gotta financially plan for that >> money,rCOrCY she quipped.
Savannah isnrCOt the only Survivor winner who has addressed paying taxes
on their prize money. Earlier this year, season 48 champion Kyle Fraser
poked fun at the circumstance on Tax Day 2026.
rCLMe after paying taxes on the prize money today,rCY Kyle wrote via an
April TikTok video.
The clip included the lawyer in a bathrobe sitting in a ball with his
hands shaking while Reba McEntirerCOs song rCLIrCOm a SurvivorrCY played in the
background.
rCLThis is satire, and IrCOm glad to do my civic duty EfyU,rCY Kyle added in the
caption.
Kyle, who resides in Brooklyn, has not publicly revealed how much he
paid in taxes.
After winning their respective seasons, both Kyle and Savannah were
asked back to compete on Survivor 50. Both former winners ended up
leaving the competition early. Kyle was medically evacuated on day four
after tearing his Achilles tendon. Savannah, for her part, was the
second person voted out.
Earlier this month, the remaining Survivor 50 competitors got some good
news after Rick Devens successfully activated Mr. BeastrCOs Super Beware
Advantage via a coin flip. The twist doubled the prize money to a
whopping $2 million. Devens, Aubry Bracco, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, Cirie
Fields, Joe Hunter, Rizo rCLRizgodrCY Velovic and Jonathan Young remain in >> the game to fight for the prize.
Survivors airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Source:
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/survivor-49-winner-savannah-reveals-how-much-she-paid-the-irs/
I would presume the show gives you the option of withholding funds from
the prize for taxes - otherwise, it would make sense to pay estimated
taxes as soon as you receive the payment. And I wasn't even thinking
about state and local taxes since we have neither here in Florida. That >means a winner from California (like Parvati or Adam) has to pay
$130,000 just to the state. That's wild. I wonder if there is a
strategy on the part of anyone to change their residence to a tax-free
state before going on the show?
On Fri, 8 May 2026 10:33:39 -0400, Rick <Rick@nospam.net> wrote:
On 5/8/2026 5:55 AM, Brian Smith wrote:
rCySurvivor 49rCO Winner Savannah Louie Reveals 6-Figure Amount She Owed the
IRS for $1 Million Prize
By Kaitlin Simpson
May 7, 2026
Savannah Louie got real about the shocking amount of money she owed to
the IRS after winning Survivor 49.
rCLIt is painful, itrCOs actually devastating. I have already paid my taxes,
obviously, from the past year and I think of that $1 million I paid
about $380,000,rCY Savannah, 32, said during a Thursday, May 7 appearance >>> on the rCLFinancial Tea With Mrs. Dow JonesrCY podcast. rCLIt was a punch to
the gut.rCY
The former newscaster explained that the prize amount was rCLmore moneyrCY >>> than she had rCLever made in a year.rCY
rCLTo sign a check over essentially for that high, it was unreal,rCY she >>> reflected. rCLIt hurts.rCY
Savannah also acknowledged she was rCLgratefulrCY to live in Atlanta,
Georgia, and not in a state with high tax laws like California. (Georgia >>> has a flat income tax system with a 5.19 percent rate while California
has the highest income tax rate at 13.3 percent for high earners.)
While Savannah was rCLconfidentrCY about doing well in her first Survivor >>> appearance, she was not thinking about the aftermath of potentially
winning.
rCLI went in very confident rCa but at the same time, I wasnrCOt necessarily
in the mindset of where IrCOm like rCyOh I gotta financially plan for that >>> money,rCOrCY she quipped.
Savannah isnrCOt the only Survivor winner who has addressed paying taxes >>> on their prize money. Earlier this year, season 48 champion Kyle Fraser
poked fun at the circumstance on Tax Day 2026.
rCLMe after paying taxes on the prize money today,rCY Kyle wrote via an
April TikTok video.
The clip included the lawyer in a bathrobe sitting in a ball with his
hands shaking while Reba McEntirerCOs song rCLIrCOm a SurvivorrCY played in the
background.
rCLThis is satire, and IrCOm glad to do my civic duty EfyU,rCY Kyle added in the
caption.
Kyle, who resides in Brooklyn, has not publicly revealed how much he
paid in taxes.
After winning their respective seasons, both Kyle and Savannah were
asked back to compete on Survivor 50. Both former winners ended up
leaving the competition early. Kyle was medically evacuated on day four
after tearing his Achilles tendon. Savannah, for her part, was the
second person voted out.
Earlier this month, the remaining Survivor 50 competitors got some good
news after Rick Devens successfully activated Mr. BeastrCOs Super Beware >>> Advantage via a coin flip. The twist doubled the prize money to a
whopping $2 million. Devens, Aubry Bracco, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, Cirie
Fields, Joe Hunter, Rizo rCLRizgodrCY Velovic and Jonathan Young remain in >>> the game to fight for the prize.
Survivors airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Source:
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/survivor-49-winner-savannah-reveals-how-much-she-paid-the-irs/
I would presume the show gives you the option of withholding funds from
the prize for taxes - otherwise, it would make sense to pay estimated
taxes as soon as you receive the payment. And I wasn't even thinking
about state and local taxes since we have neither here in Florida. That
means a winner from California (like Parvati or Adam) has to pay
$130,000 just to the state. That's wild. I wonder if there is a
strategy on the part of anyone to change their residence to a tax-free
state before going on the show?
That's the same trick some people have tried when winning a lottery.
Given how unlikely it is to win I can't see moving before going on a
show like Survivor just in case you win.
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