The 43rd season winner is the first in the show’s history to donate all of his winnings.
The audience and the other finalists were taken aback by Mike Gabler’s upset triumph over Survivor 43. The real surprise, though, was when Gabler said during the reunion that he intended to give away his entire $1 million bounty to military charities. Now, the heart valve expert attests to having fulfilled his promise.
On December 11, Gabler shared the news via Twitter and X, saying, “We did it! All $1,000,000 from Survivor Season 43 has been donated! There is still A TON of work to be done in order to get our warriors HOME. God has blessed everyone, even the USA.
Gabler shared a photo of twenty-five different charities, such as K9s for Warriors, the No Fallen Heroes Foundation, and Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS). Additionally, he donated to reality TV-focused charities including Give Kids the World and the Born to Run Foundation, which was founded by fellow Survivor 43 winner Noelle Lambert.
Prior to competing in the final Tribal Council, which he won 7-1, Gabler had declared in a confessional that he intended to donate his wealth. He revealed the official news at the reunion episode, startling the castaways and host Jeff Probst.
In an interview with Parade.com, Gabler stated that “I kept it quiet” the night of the finals. I talked about it with my wife and a buddy before the show. And we said, “If you make it to the end, let’s do something powerful and good.” These days, there’s a lot of terrible news out there. And I decide, “Let’s do something really big with this money.” From the start, I supported it wholeheartedly, but I didn’t want to use veterans for personal profit. I want to assist veterans.
Gabler is the first Survivor winner to completely donate their money with this deed. While some past winners—like Adam Klein from season 33—have made notable public contributions, Gabler’s total donation sets a new benchmark. It’s uncertain if his generosity will inspire other Survivor champions to follow suit.
