Richard Hatch Won the First Season of “Survivor ”26 Years Ago, Then Went to Prison. Inside His Life Today
Richard Hatch Won the First Season of “Survivor ”26 Years Ago, Then Went to Prison. Inside His Life Today
Jordana Comiter, Nicole PomaricoSun, August 23, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC
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Richard Hatch on the first season of Survivor; Richard Hatch in October 2024.Credit: CBS via Getty; Richard Hatch/Instagram -
On Aug. 23, 2000, Richard Hatch won the first season of CBS’ Survivor and made a controversial return when he competed on 2004’s Survivor:All-Stars
Hatch went to prison in 2006 for tax evasion after failing to report his Survivor prize
The premiere episode of Survivor 50 honored Hatch as the show’s first-ever winner
Richard Hatch cemented his place in reality TV history when he became the first-ever Sole Survivor on Aug. 23, 2000.
Hatch quickly emerged as a defining player on season 1 of CBS’ Survivor, introducing an alliance-based strategy that would become a cornerstone of the game. His approach paid off: Hatch defeated Kelly Wiglesworth in the 2000 finale and walked away with the show’s first $1 million prize. More than two decades later, his historic victory was revisited during the Survivor 50 premiere in February 2026, which paid tribute to the franchise’s beginnings.
Hatch’s strategic approach to Survivor also earned him a reputation as one of reality TV’s original villains. However, during an August 2020 conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Hatch said that he knew he “wasn’t a villain” because he “played within the rules” of the game.
Hatch has been the center of controversy over the years. In 2004, one of his Survivor: All-Stars contestants, Sue Hawk, alleged that he rubbed his naked genitals on her during a challenge. He later went to prison in 2006 after failing to report his large Survivor prize. (Hatch told CBS News that he and Hawk have “two different perspectives of what happened,” and Hawk shared she decided not to take legal action.)
So, where is Richard Hatch now? Here’s everything to know about his life today, 26 years after winning the first season of Survivor.
What happened during Richard Hatch’s time on Survivor?
Richard Hatch, Rudy Boesch and Kelly Wiglesworth in the final immunity challenge on ‘Survivor: Borneo.’Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Hatch was 39 years old when he competed on — and won — the first season of Survivor, taking home the $1 million cash prize. During his time on the show, his innovative and strategic approach to the game solidified his legacy as someone who shaped Survivor and as one of the first villains on reality TV.
In October 2024, Hatch opened up to PEOPLE about his reputation, saying, “They loved to hate me because they didn’t understand Survivor.”
“The world saw me as a villain. I understood that the word meant something to people that wasn’t reflective of what it means in the dictionary,” he said. “Now more people understand the game, supposedly, and I don’t know that they think of me as villainous. But I’ll do whatever it takes in a game, and that’s villainous to somebody.”
After winning the season, it wasn’t long before Hatch returned to the small screen, as he competed on 2004’s All-Stars.
However, his time back on the island led him to the center of controversy, as his fellow tribe member, Hawk, alleged that he rubbed his naked genitals on her during a challenge, per Entertainment Weekly.
According to Time, Hawk quit the game shortly after and said she was “sexually violated” when announcing her decision.
“It went too far and [Hatch] crossed a line with me ... I’m done with this game,” she said, per Time. “There’s no way I can continue with my emotions pushed to the ground that much.”
Hawk appeared on The Early Show with Hatch in March 2004 and said the pair had “different perspectives” on what happened, but had “agreed to move forward and past it.”
In February 2020, Hatch wrote on X that he wasn’t “‘owning up’ to any wrong-doing.”
Why did Richard Hatch go to prison?
Richard Hatch.Credit: AP Photo/Stew Milne
In 2006, Hatch was convicted on two counts of attempted tax evasion and one count of signing a fraudulent tax return after failing to report his large Survivor prize, on top of other smaller sums, per Entertainment Weekly.
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According to the outlet, he served over four years in federal prison, then was sent back to prison for nine months after failing to refile his tax returns in 2000 and 2001 and pay what he owed, per CBS News. He later returned to prison for violating prison media-access rules, per Forbes.
In March 2026, a judge ruled that Hatch owes $3,293,471.56 in taxes “plus statutory additions from and after May 13, 2024, including interest” after he failed to pay tax on his Survivor winnings. Hatch has since filed an appeal.
“This appeal will be the first objective review of the facts. I am confident that the appellate court’s review of the full record - including evidence that was not adequately addressed below - will result in a just outcome,” Hatch said in a statement to PEOPLE.
The statement continued, “I have spent 25 years trying to do the right thing in a complicated situation, and I remain committed to resolving this matter fairly. I have nothing further to say while the appeal is pending.”
What other reality TV shows has Richard Hatch competed on?
Victoria Larson, Jessie Godderz, Kandy Muse, Wes Bergmann, Richard Hatch, Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard, Safaree, Teresa Giudice, Larissa Lima and Camilla Poindexter on ‘House of Villains’Credit: Trae Patton/E! Entertainment via Getty
Though Hatch rose to fame on Survivor, it isn’t the only reality competition show that he has starred on. After winning the CBS survival show, he appeared on two more NBC series, including season 17 of The Biggest Loser and season 4 of The Celebrity Apprentice.
Most recently, he competed in the second season of E!’s House of Villains alongside Bravo’s Teresa Giudice and The Challenge‘s Wes Bergmann. He ultimately came in 10th place.
As for whether or not he’d ever return to Survivor for another season, he told Entertainment Weekly that the “people behind the scenes” probably wouldn’t welcome him back after his complex legal issues.
“I love the game,” he said. “I’ve never missed an episode, so it would only be about mediating [and] remedying what has gone on behind the scenes. That’s all.”
When it came time to announce the Survivor: Winners at War cast in February 2020, longtime host Jeff Probst said that he “didn’t feel comfortable having [Hatch] out on the show and representing a show that is for families,” given his “history” on the program, per Time.
Where is Richard Hatch now?
Richard Hatch in July 2025.Credit: Richard Hatch/Instagram
Hatch hasn’t competed on Survivor since 2004, but he has remained connected to the franchise. Through his YouTube channel, the former winner has weighed in on subsequent seasons and shared behind-the-scenes stories from his own experience.
Outside of Survivor, the former corporate trainer has occasionally spoken publicly about his personal life. In December 2017, Hatch revealed on X that his marriage to Emiliano Cabral had ended after 14 years.
“I’M LOOKING FOR LOVE! If you think I’m the guy for you or for someone you know, please let me know,” he wrote. “I prefer to share the journey in partnership, and sadly, my 14-year marriage has ended. Mr. Right will have to be bright enough to be kind. Thanks for your help in finding him.”
More recently, Hatch has expanded into other projects. He launched the Substack newsletter Deeper with Hatch in June 2026, followed by the publication of his book, Reality Matters: What You Owe Yourself, a month later.
His legal appeal is still ongoing. In August 2026, he told NBC 10 WJAR that he is “living life,” but claimed “a lot of it” has been “wasted on this insane legal battle.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
