Netflix better have Mai Whelan‘s money because the Vietnamese immigrant did not emerge victorious on the grueling “Squid Game: The Challenge” for nothing!
The winner of the real-life version of the hit Korean drama series battled over 400 contestants for the life-changing prize money. However, months after the reality TV show’s conclusion, the victor claims she has not received the promised compensation for partaking in the nerve-wracking competition.
‘Squid Game’ Winner Remains Hopeful About Her Delayed Million-Dollar Prize Money
After defeating scuba instructor Phill Cain in the final episode of Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge” tournament, Whelan wasted no time rushing to an ATM and checking if her balance reflected the $4.56 million prize money. But, the hefty sum was not swiftly credited to the Vietnamese native’s account.
Surprisingly, the 55-year-old’s bank balance remains $4.56 million short ten months after filming the show’s season finale. The competition’s winner confirmed in an interview after the last episode aired that she has yet to receive a dime from the promised money.
“I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Show me the money!” Whelan exclaimed, remaining positive despite the delayed payment. While waiting for her new bank balance, the 55-year-old revealed she recently splurged on a stunning Ralph Lauren dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, and a dashing hairdo for a Netflix event.
“I still have buyer’s remorse from that, but I think it’s well deserved,” the reality TV star said per Daily Mail. The mother of two also shared a shocking detail about the contracts competitors signed to participate in the “Squid Game: The Challenge” show.
According to the media personality, contestants were allegedly forbidden from giving part of their winnings to other participants. While she could not spend her $4.56 million on her former opponents, Whelan revealed her plans to donate to the causes she treasures.
When the program’s showrunners finally pay her, the Vietnamese native plans to support environmental projects and look into a retirement home away from her residence in Fairfax, Virginia. As for her victory in the less dramatic final challenge of rock, paper, scissors, Whelan noted she won thanks to her experiences.
“I don’t think I’m smarter. I’m older than him, and I’ve experienced things. It’s just knowledge,” the show’s winner said of her opponent, Cain. “We played a fair game. He felt that I deserved to win because I beat him a lot at rock, paper, scissors!”
Viewers of “Squid Game: The Challenge” may not have expected the competition to end on a less challenging note given the previous games. One task, the grueling marble game, had fans and contestants in emotional turmoil.
Mother & Son Players Recall Gut-Wrenching Marble Challenge
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Days earlier, Player 301 Trey Plutnicki and his mother, LeAnn Wilcox Plutnicki, Player 302, broke their silence about the “Squid Game: The Challenge” marble game. The family members, who competed side by side on the reality program, found themselves in a pickle over the heartbreaking task.
Fans of the “Squid Game” K-drama series may recall the original marble game was set to leave only one person standing, meaning either mother or son would be eliminated. Showrunners played the villains in the story, offering the players a picnic with the hidden challenge.
“I think we knew right away what was happening,” LeAnn said in an interview, noting that she and her son were the first to discover the hidden marbles. “I didn’t want to [play the game] with him, but then [Trey] gave me his perspective at the moment.”
Trey echoed similar sentiments, “Before we even took a bite of food, I found the marbles. And when we found it, I was just like, ‘Let’s just let everyone have a really nice meal together,’ and we didn’t talk about it.”
However, shielding their fellow competitors from the truth only gave them a sense of peace before the revelation shattered their hopes. Trey defeated his mother to proceed to the next game, but he was eliminated during the glass bridge challenge.
The mother and son duo, alongside the other competitors excluding Whelan, allegedly walked away with nothing. According to fellow contestant Radhika Srinivasan, they were not paid anything for participating in the show, and only the game’s winner would get paid. In the media personality’s words:
“[We earned] zero. Zero GBP, zero USD, zero rupees, zero Yuan, zero Pesos. Zero. Literally zero! It was all or nothing, and we were really in there acting like that for nothing because the stakes were so high; it was $4.65 million.”