The $4.56 million prize that the winner of “Squid Game: The Challenge” is eventually going to receive is getting closer, but according to the rules of her contract, TMZ has discovered she still needs to wait.
According to sources who spoke to TMZ, show winner Mai Whelan signed a contract with all the other candidates stating the jackpot would be paid out 30 days after the finale aired. Mai Whelan recently reported that her earnings from the Netflix series have not yet appeared in her bank account.
Since the finale aired on December 6, thirty days would pass on Friday, January 5, 2024, meaning Mai wouldn’t receive those millions until the following year.
In other words, Mai was aware from the beginning that she would have to wait for the huge money to come in because the contract she signed included information on the payment schedule.
READ MORE: Season 2 Of “Squid Game: The Challenge” Has Been Picked Up
Everyone assumed she was complaining when she disclosed last week that she still hadn’t received a dime, but given the details of her contract, it’s more probable that she was alerting producers to the ticking clock!
It’s also not certain, they tell us, if she will get the money all at once or in smaller amounts.
Though Mai did not receive the dough, she has already indulged in some luxury purchases, including a Ralph Lauren dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. Mai fled Vietnam as a young girl during the communist era.
But Mai promises to use the money more sensibly when it does arrive—on a retirement home and charitable contributions, among other things.
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