While Survivor has been going for almost 50 seasons, it remains entertaining to watch. Seeing people take on tough challenges and even go without properly brushing their teeth is still as intriguing as ever. Of course, at the end of each season, one person is crowned winner by the Final Tribal Council. On top of winning the title, said person also gets to take home a million dollars. Survivor 43 winner Mike Gabler is the latest beneficiary of that cash prize and just provided an update on his plans to give it all to charity.
Season 43 of Survivor was pretty insane, considering Mike Gabler was not the favorite at all to win. Even his victory inspired Survivor 45 contestant Emily Flippen to apply, noting it was “not ok” that he was Sole Survivor. When he won, he told longtime host Jeff Probst that he was planning on donating the entire prize to veterans in need, in his father's name. Now, a year later, Gabler took to Twitter (or X) to update his followers and gave the incredible news of his donations, with a list of organizations he donated to:
We did it! The entire $1,000,000 from Survivor Season 43 has been donated! The 2nd photo shows the entire list of tremendous organizations that we donated to who are helping veterans, first responders, and humanity. There is still much more work to do to bring our veterans ALL… pic.twitter.com/iHJnfW10bqDecember 11, 2023
Mike Gabler’s win was arguably a Survivor twist that no one saw coming but, when you see a result like this, you can't help but be glad it happened. It’s incredible that he donated every single cent to veterans and didn’t keep any for himself. He seems to be a man of his word, and that's admirable.
According to the competitor's update, he donated his million dollars to 25 charities for veterans, first responders and more. The donations were part of the “Pass the Torch Fund” Grant, and one would think that the organizations that received the funds were grateful. It'd be wonderful if this charitable act sets off a trend amongst future Survivor winners. Of course, everyone's situation is different, and those who earn the cash may be in need of it.
At present, Survivor 45 has yet to name a Sole Survivor, but the season has had bonkers moments so far, including that Top Gun montage. The series also recently featured Jeff Probst’s “favorite moment of the season,” when a contestant used a Hidden Immunity Idol to save themselves and single-handedly eliminate another competitor. A move met with mixed reactions, it marked just one of the latest changes for the show. Aside from that, the series’ format was altered due to the strikes, meaning that there have been 90-minute episodes, and that method will continue through Season 46.
It remains to be see just how ends up taking the title and all that money. One can only speculate as to whether the winner will end up donating some of the cash like Mike Gabler, once they've won. In the meantime, make sure to tune in to Survivor 45 on Wednesdays at 8 pm. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule. You can also catch up on episodes using a Paramount+ subscription.
