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Q: I've watched "Survivor" since the start, and have seen many of the same contestants over and over. It's hard to believe people can take off work and leave their families for six weeks at a time, just for a one-in-20 chance at winning a million bucks. I

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

There are a lot of different answers to this question. Some shows give small stipends to contestants, though small is the operative word there. As "Real World" executive producer Jonathan Murray told USA Today, "I used to say it was enough to buy a used car. Now it's probably not quite as big as a used car." And some shows don't give anything.

However, "Survivor" has its own system. It has a tiered pay structure based on how well you do. According to the show's official contract (leaked on the entertainment site RealityBlurred.com), the first person voted off the island/continent/whatever is paid $2,500, and subsequent exiters are paid slightly more, up to the runner-up, who receives $100,000. The winner, of course, receives $1 million.

For many, the compensation is simply being on television. "The idea is, hopefully, opportunities come afterwards," former "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor Pad" contestant Kirk DeWindt told CBS Minnesota in 2011. DeWindt is a personal trainer in the Twin Cities and said that he hoped to get more clients as a result of his TV exposure.

That motivation persists today. Milton, a contestant in the new season of "The Bachelorette," says in his official profile that his motivation for being in the show is to be "discovered." "Everyone tells me I'm made for TV/movies."

 

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