Why ‘Survivor’ Winner Mike Gabler Refused To Reveal His Plan To Donate His $1 Million Prize To Charity At The Final Tribal Council

Summary

• Mike Gabler, season 43 'Survivor' winner, donated his $1 million prize to charity for veterans and first responders.
• Gabler chose not to reveal his charity plans during the show to avoid using the cause for sympathy votes.
• He distributed portions of his prize among 10 veteran organizations and first responders, focusing on mental health and reintegration support.

For most ‘Survivor’ winners, the $1 million prize is a game-changer for their finances and lifestyle. But for season 43 winner Mike Gabler, it was a different story. For him, winning was about fulfilling a lifelong dream. Unlike other 'Survivor' winners, Gabler was deeply admired; his decision to donate all his prize money to good causes earned him even more affection.

However, fans thought Mike Gabler might talk about his charity plans at the final tribal council to improve his chances of winning, but he decided not to reveal them. In the end, he still came out as the winner.

This article will look into why 'Survivor' winner Mike Gabler decided not to talk about donating his $1 million prize to charity at the final tribal council, and discuss why he chose to give his prize money to charity.

‘Survivor’ Winner Mike Gabler Didn't Want Pity Votes At The Final Tribal Council

Mike Gabler could have easily secured his win by announcing his plan to donate his $1 million ‘Survivor’ prize to charity at the final tribal council, but he took a risk by keeping quiet until after he was declared the winner. What if he hadn't won?

Despite Survivor season 43 being ranked as one of the worst seasons, Mike Gabler made it to the finale alongside four other competitors – Cassidy Clark, Jesse Lopez, Owen Knight, and Karla Cruz Godoy. Clark, Gabler, and Knight made it to the top three, and with a 7-1-0 vote from jurors, Mike Gabler knocked out his final competitors, and officially emerged as the winner of the 43rd season of ‘Survivor’

According to Mike Gabler, he chose not to reveal his charity plans because he didn't want to use the veterans, whom he intended to support with the donations, as a strategy to gain sympathy votes. He deeply cared about them and wanted to support them genuinely, rather than using their plight for personal gain in the game, which made a lot of sense, by the way. Gabler said:

I immediately shied away from that because I didn’t want in any way, shape or form to be using Veterans, using the population I care about deeply, to help me win. That would have been the wrong approach. By winning it on my own, then it’s just me taking care of Veterans. Otherwise, there’d be an asterisk by my name right now.

Mike Gabler believed he had what it took to win on his own merits and felt that winning without bringing up the veterans during the game was his way of fulfilling his commitment to support them himself, which was his primary motivation for participating in the show. He expressed:

People would be going, `Well, he wasn’t going to win, but when he dropped that in there, he used the Veterans to win.’ I just thought it was shady, to be honest. I wanted to win on my own merit and then pay it forward. I’m glad I did it that way.

• Mike Gabler was born on September 4 1970

Mike Gabler is a believer in existential philosophy, which focuses on human existence, individual choice, freedom, and the inherent meaninglessness of life. His life motto, "Life is short! Life is now! Live it!" reflects this philosophy.

This outlook influenced his decision to go on ‘Survivor’ at the age of 51, ultimately making him the second-oldest American to win the competition.

While his fellow contestants knew nothing about his plans to donate his prize money to charity, Mike Gabler had already decided this long before coming on 'Survivor.' He discussed keeping his charity plans private with his wife and a friend. He said:

"Well, first of all, I talked about it with my wife and my buddy before the show. And we were like, ‘If you get to the end, let's do something powerful, something good.’ There's a lot of news out there, just terrible stuff. And I'm like, ‘Let's do something big with this money.’ And I kept it under my hat."

Why Survivor Winner Mike Gabler Donated His $1 Million Prize To Charity

According to People, Mike Gabler's decision to donate his $1 million prize to charity was driven by his commitment to honoring veterans. Coming from a family with a strong military background—his father served in the Army Reserve from 1966 to 1970, and his uncles were Vietnam War veterans—he was deeply influenced by their service.

Witnessing the sacrifices his father made and the physical and emotional struggles of other veterans, Gabler developed a profound appreciation for their dedication and the challenges they faced in adapting to civilian life. Mike Gabler's strong sense of patriotism and dedication to his country motivated him to support those who have served.

He explained to 'Survivor' host Jeff Probst after the show ended, "I have a very patriotic family because so many people have served. In fact, I’m one of the few who didn’t. So, this is my contribution. Be thankful for being in this great country. Do good for your neighbors. Help your community and contribute to our society in a positive way. Those are things that were hammered down on me. Work hard. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Treat people fairly, and they’ll treat you back fairly. Those messages resonated throughout my childhood.”

Gabler said this personal conviction drove him to support organizations that help veterans with mental health issues, homelessness, and reintegration into society. This was his way of giving back. He explained:

I’ve had the opportunity to serve but never the honor of serving. But it was my honor to be able to serve those who served us, and it was very important to me to be able to do something special. To be able to save lives, even one life, would be incredible. I know we’re on the way to doing that now. That money’s going to do a lot of good for a lot of people for many years to come.

His decision to donate his entire ‘Survivor’ grand prize to veteran charities, in honor of his father, Robert Gabler, a Green Beret, stood out for its transparency. After announcing his plan, Gabler made sure the donations went directly to the right veteran organizations as promised.

Mike Gabler reportedly distributed portions of his entire prize among 10 veteran organizations and first responders. According to Gabler, these nonprofits focus on supporting veterans dealing with PTSD, suicidal tendencies, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The organizations that benefited from his donations include:

• Special Operations Warrior Foundation
• Rescue 22 Foundation
• The Mission Continues
• Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VET)
• Heroic Hearts Project
• Healing Heroes: Veterans And First Responders
• PJ ParaRescue Foundation
• Advocates For Healthy Minds

In addition to these nonprofits, Gabler also extended his charity donations to organizations dedicated to providing "cradle-to-career" educational support for the children of deceased Special Operations personnel and Medal of Honor recipients.

Mike Gabler's decision not to reveal his plan to donate his $1 million prize to charity at the final tribal council might have seemed unwise at the time. However, in the long run, it underscored the sincerity behind his actions, making him the first-ever winner to donate the entire prize to charity.