Each season, a new couple is crowned the winners of ‘Love Island USA’ and receive a cash prize
Credit: Ben Symons/Peacock
NEED TO KNOW
- The winners of Love Island USA have to decide whether to split the $100,000 grand prize or take it all for themselves
- All of the past winners have chosen to share the prize with their love interest
- In addition to the winners, several contestants profit from the show with sponsorships, brand deals and social media followings
As Love Island USA season 8 comes to an end, another couple will get to take home both the title and the six-figure check.
Over the course of six weeks, contestants from all over the world have come to the Fiji villa in hopes of finding a romantic partner. Just like the past seasons, season 8 was filled with several twists and turns, dramatic challenges and steamy bombshells.
By the finale, which airs on Peacock on July 12, four couples remain in hopes of America voting them the winning couple — and scoring the $100,000 grand prize. At the very end, the winning couple will have to decide if they want to split the prize — and prove their love — or take it for themself.
So, what do the winners of Love Island USA get? Here’s everything to know about the $100,000 prize fund and the money the rest of the contestants receive during and after the hit dating show.
What do the winners of Love Island get?
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While the goal of Love Island USA is to explore connections and create a meaningful relationship, there is an additional monetary prize. After just four couples remain in the final episode, American fans vote for the couple they’d like to win the $100,000 prize. Unless one member of the winning couple chooses to take the funds for themself, they split the money.
However, since the prize is considered taxable income, the winners have to pay federal and state income taxes on the money. The fact that they’d get individually taxed for their winnings was something season 5 winner Marco Donatelli considered before he split the fund with his now-fiancée, Hannah Wright.
“I wanted to take all 100 and double it, then give her 100. I knew there would be a tax on it. I said it about 10 times, and they cut it out every single time,” Donatelli claimed to the Cincinnati Enquirer in September 2023. “But no, I had to split it, but I really did want to take 100 and double it and then give her 100. So, we’re going to rock with just splitting the 50. We’ll double it from here.”
After Kordell Beckham and Serena Page won season 6 of Love Island USA and split the fund, they both said that they planned on saving most of the money.
“I’m saving it up and just going to navigate life normally,” Beckham told USA Insider in July 2024. “I’m saving, but I’m also investing into my career, you know, business opportunities to grow more and get, you know, tenfold for the modeling, endorsement sponsors, whatever happens, you know, those opportunities I’ll take them in.”
Page echoed that sentiment and told Collider in July 2024, “I was living without it, so I’ll just pretend it’s not there and put it in my savings.”
Even though season 7 winners Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales broke up shortly after the show wrapped, they decided to split the money at the finale.
What is the twist in the Love Island USA prize?
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As Love Island USA is all about forming genuine connections and having relationships tested, the producers continue testing the winners’ relationship after they’re crowned the champions. In the final episode, host Ariana Madix announces which couple was voted that season’s winners.
Shortly afterward, she separates the couple and gives them each one envelope — one empty one and one with the $100,000. The contestant that gets the money can choose whether to keep the money for themselves or split it with their partner.
In every Love Island franchise — including USA, Australia and U.K. — all of the past winners have chosen to split the money.
What else have former Love Island contestants received as a result of the show?
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In addition to finding love on Love Island USA, many of the contestants also find fame and exposure with millions of new social media followers. Over the years, fan favorite contestants have scored several brand deals, acting gigs, modeling jobs and spots on other reality TV shows.
Season 6 star Leah Kateb boasts nearly 6 million followers on Instagram, while Page has racked up over 2.5 million. The former has partnered with dozens of successful brands — including Jose Cuervo, Amazon and Neutrogena, among others. Meanwhile, the latter has also worked with brands like Pepsi, Nordstrom Rack and Truly.
Kennedy Meehan, who founded the Azure Agency and has worked with several former Love Island USA contestants, told Business Insider in 2024, “Some of our girls, straight out of the villa, are making $20,000 to $30,000 in a month off of, let’s say, five videos. And that’s on the lower end.”
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