He Won $1M on First Survivor, Now Owes $3M in Taxes on It

Twenty-six years after becoming reality TV’s first million-dollar winner, Richard Hatch is facing a tax bill that is more than three times the amount he won on Survivor.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled earlier this month that Hatch owes the U.S. government more than $3.29 million in unpaid federal income taxes and penalties tied to the $1.01 million prize he received for winning the first season of Survivor in 2000, according to the Providence Journal. The March 17 judgment allows the government to begin using federal debt-collection methods, including property liens, to recover the money it says Hatch owes.

Hatch, 64, represented himself in the civil case and has filed a notice stating he will appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals. In a text message to the Providence Journal, he said he is confident the appellate judges will reach “a just outcome.” He added, “I have spent 25 years trying to do the right thing, and I remain committed to resolving this matter fairly.”

Hatch’s problems with the IRS began shortly after the show ended, when the agency said he failed to pay taxes on his earnings, according to the Boston Herald. In 2006, he was convicted of tax evasion, served 51 months in prison, and was ordered to file amended tax returns and pay what he owed for 2000 and 2001—requirements the government says he still has not satisfied.