Aussie reality TV veteran David Genat reveals plans for $9m prize money

Former Survivor winner David Genat is $9 million richer after his record win on a US show. Now, he reveals exactly what he plans to do with the cash.

He’s been dubbed the ‘Golden God’ of reality TV, with Australian star David Genat’s latest multimillion-dollar win further cementing this status and thrusting him into record books.

The former Australian Survivor winner, 45, took home a life-changing $US5.8 million ($A9.21million), “the biggest prize in primetime history” according to NBC, on the second season of American series Deal or No Deal Island, a Survivor-style spin-off to Deal or No Deal.

Speaking to news.com.au from Los Angeles, fresh from hosting a party with the show’s host Joe Manganiello in the Hollywood Hills to celebrate his victory, Genat – a big player who takes big risks – surprised with his admittedly “boring” plans for the cash.

“I’m going to invest most of it right now. If I put that in a savings account in the US, I’m making $US300,000 a year,” the father-of-four said.

David Genat wins $US5.8m on the finale of Deal or No Deal Island. Picture: Monty Brinton/NBC

He continued, “There’s so much stuff I’m going to do in terms of making sure I protect it, because I’ve never had a consistent pay cheque, I’ve been in entertainment 25 years in the fashion and entertainment business. So I’ve been bouncing around between projects, having to win these shows to provide for my family.

“And there’s just been so much financial stress all the time, so to be able to go ‘I never have to work again if I don’t want’ is pretty much ultimate freedom.”

Of course, as someone who has now won two TV shows in part thanks to never playing it safe, Genat does have a couple of splurge purchases in mind.

“I’ll buy a new motorcycle. I love my motorcycles, so I’ll definitely get a nice bike. I’ll get a new watch, and then my kids are at driving age, so I’m going to have to probably buy a fleet of cars,” he said.

Genat and his family, including wife Pearl Christensen, have had to sit silently on the results of the show for almost a year, with the finale filmed last August.

Now, they’re one step closer to getting wired the cash, with Genat’s contract stipulating he’d be paid 90 days after the final episode.

Genat with his family after winning Australian Survivor All Stars in 2020. Picture: Supplied

Does he have any plans for payday?

“Oh, we’ll have fun, don’t you worry about that,” he laughed.

Genat, who lives between Texas and Perth, beat fellow contestant Alexis Lete in the final challenge, in which they played for the eye-watering top prize of $US12,232,0001.

He left his cast mates, host and the show’s banker Chrissy Teigen on the edge of their seats by turning down several six-figure deals over seven rounds. In the end, he ultimately opted to take the $US5.8m offer from Teigen instead of picking between the last two cases.

“It was the greatest feeling on the planet I’ve ever experienced,” he said of winning.

“One of the craziest things, which just wasn’t seen [on the finale], we wrapped filming at about 4am, and I walked off and I’d done a couple of interviews and … my body was on a different frequency. And this lovely lady comes up to me and is like, ‘Now I know this is annoying but you have to do paperwork, you need to sign this and just have a quick read.’

“And it was basically saying that I agreed for them to pay me the sum of $US5.8 million.

“I nearly puked.”

Genat plans to be sensible and invest his winnings. Picture: Nigel Wright / Network 10

Genat, who first appeared on Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders in 2019 before going on to win $500,000 on 2020’s Australian Survivor: All Stars, said his experience filming the finale of Deal or No Deal Island gave him another gift – reconnecting him with his late father.

“I felt like I’d really connected with my father, and my whole game was playing for him to reclaim that number 18 as a positive number for my family, because that was the day he passed away,” he said.

“I know it’s an edited show, so they have to cut out so many things, but there was just so many cool things that were happening.

“Prior to beginning filming that day, I was praying and thinking about him, and the lady I was with who was looking after me, I told her, ‘I really want to be able to see the sky.’ They were holding me in this area with a canopy where you can’t see the sky. There was just too much tree coverage.

“And she’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can move you. You are about to start filming.’ And I was like, ‘I need to’. I just had this urge. And she takes me down this little path and we find this opening in the trees, and a shooting star just goes straight across the sky. I was like, ‘I’m golden. He’s here.’”

Deal or No Deal Island is now streaming on Ten Play

Originally published as Aussie reality TV veteran David Genat reveals plans for $9m prize money