The $4.56 million Squid Game jackpot winner claims that 10 months after the demanding Netflix game show filming, she has not received a single penny of the prize money.
Mai Whelan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese refugee, gained admirers not just for her inspiring tale of escaping her country’s communist tyranny during Saigon’s collapse, but also for her shrewd and merciless play style, which allowed her to defeat 455 other players.
After several rounds of rock, paper, and scissors, Wheelan defeated 27-year-old scuba instructor Phill Cain in the much-maligned climax. In the series’ last scene, Mai approached an ATM to check her balance and discovered $4.56 million was waiting for her.
Whelan also disclosed that the players’ contracts prohibit them from sharing their prizes with other competitors.
When Whelan does receive her money, she plans to look at retirement communities outside of her Fairfax, Virginia, home and donate to causes close to her heart, such as the environment.
