‘Squid Game’ prize money: How much is really at stake?

How much money would you risk your life for? In Netflix’s “Squid Game,” people in desperate financial situations agree to play a potentially fatal game in the hopes of winning an enormous cash prize.

Season 2 adds a new twist to the games. After every round, players can vote to end the games or keep playing.

With this addition of voting, tension brews amid the players as some want to continue risking their lives to increase the prize pot while others don’t deem the risk worth it and want to go home.

But how much money is really at stake?

How much is $45.6 billion won in USD?

In the show, $45.6 billion won is the prize if, like in Season 1, it comes down to a sole winner.

When South Korean won are converted to U.S. dollars, the total prize pot sum equates to $30,903,120 dollars as of December 27, 2024, so about $31 million U.S. dollars.

Each games opens with 456 players. That means each player’s life is valued at $100 million won, which amounts to $67,851 dollars.

How much are the Season 2 prizes?

The prize setup changes in Season 2. Voting could end the games early, resulting in multiple winners splitting the prize pot instead of one solo winner being required like in Season 1.

Before voting commences each time in Season 2, players are told what amount is currently in the prize pot and what portion they would be taking home if the majority votes to leave at that moment.

Each player’s portion before the first vote would be $24,931,500 won, which is a little under $17,000 dollars per person.

Before the second vote, the prize pot has increased. So, if players left at that moment, each would take home $78,823,530 won, which is a little over $54,000 dollars each.

By the third vote, each player’s cut would be $356,000,000, which is a little over $241,000 dollars per person.

The season ends before the games do but will continue into a third season, Netflix confirmed.