America’s Got Talent winner, ventriloquist Paul Zerdin recently discussed how winning the show opened up his life financially. Apparently, he saw the show as the “best money decision” he ever made.
America’s Got Talent Winner Calls Show ‘Best Money Decision’
Paul Zerdin is looking back at his time on America’s Got Talent, nearly 10 years after his time on the series. In an interview with financial website, This is Money, he discussed his time on the show, saying it’s the ‘best money decision’ he’s ever made.
“I had to cancel some gigs and corporate events in the UK to be available to film the series… but it was so worth it,” he said. “Winning was mind-blowing. It also paved the way for all the work I’ve done in North America since.”
He went on to explain that the million dollar prize was ‘silly money’ since he chose to pay it over an extended amount of time.
“I had to pay a hefty tax bill on it since it was classed as foreign earnings. I also had to choose whether to take it as an annuity,” he said. “Essentially 40 years of $25,000 before taxes, or a lump sum of $300,000, again before taxes.”
His Best, Worst Purchases
Zerdin was in his “best” financial year of his life following his victory on America’s Got Talent. He went on to headline a Las Vegas show, as well as multiple one-night only performances that paid five-figure sums.
“I was playing venues where the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin had played,” he said. “They sometimes even sent a stretch limo to the airport to pick me up.”
With that money in his pocket, he made his most expensive and most regretful purchases. He detailed that his most expensive purchase, a $10,000 Breitling watch, was stolen three years later. Yet, that wasn’t his biggest money mistake.
Apparently, Zerdin bought a Jaguar F-Type sports car after returning from America. Three years later, the car was stolen while he went out to dinner. To get to and from places, he bought a used Jaguar XKR for £12,000, which ended up being his “worst car ever.”
The ventriloquist hopes to spend the majority of his money while alive, saving some funds for close family. He admitted that he doesn’t believe in giving too much to the next generation, saying “it’s important for them to find their own way, I never got any handouts as a kid.”
Words by:
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
