Why 'AGT' Season 19 Winner Richard Goodall Won't Actually Win $1 Million Prize

Photo: Richard Goodall (Instagram)

America's Got Talent fans, let’s congratulate Richard Goodall, the season 19 winner! Richard, a former janitor, took home the top prize after competing in the final round against dog act Roni Sagi and the drone group Sky Elements. With help from judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel, viewers were excited to see Richard come out on top.

However, there's a catch to the $1 million prize that fans may not know. Although host Terry Crews announced Richard’s big win, the full prize isn’t what it seems. At the end of each episode, a small disclaimer says that the prize is paid out over 40 years, or the winner can choose to take a smaller amount in cash upfront.

According to a 2016 report from Forbes, if a winner takes the cash all at once, they might only get about $300,000 after taxes. If they choose to get paid over 40 years, they would receive $25,000 each year, before taxes.

Photo: Richard Goodall (Instagram)

Even though the cash prize is less than $1 million, many AGT winners still go on to have successful careers. For example, Grace VanderWaal, who won season 11, is starring in the 2024 film Megalopolis, and last year’s winner Adrian Stoica performed with his dog Hurricane in Las Vegas.

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