What is Evan Marriott's net worth?
Evan Marriott is an American reality star who has a net worth of $500 thousand. Evan Marriott became a household name in 2003 after he starred on the Fox reality show "Joe Millionaire." He and a fellow contestant briefly dated after the show so they could split the $1 million prize. Joe and the woman, Zora Andrich, each took home around $250,000 after taxes.
Early Life
Evan was born on July 15, 1974, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He attended Hargrave Military Academy but dropped out in the 11th grade. He dropped out of military school because the teacher was 'too strict and tough.' After leaving school, Evan worked as a landscaper and construction worker. One day in the early 2000s, a friend of a friend's ex-girlfriend heard about a reality TV show that was looking for an average "Joe" with good looks but a very normal blue-collar job who could be presented as a pretend millionaire to a group of single women looking for a husband. He had to go through dozens of screen tests and was subjected to a thorough background check. At the time he was making $19,000 per year working construction in Orange County, California. Producers offered him $50,000 to star in their show.
Joe Millionaire
As we alluded to, the premise of what became "Joe Millionaire" was that a group of attractive single women were led to believe they were competing for the affections of a millionaire named Evan Marriott, who had inherited a $50 million trust fund. However, the twist was that Evan was not actually a millionaire but a construction worker with an annual income of $19,000. He also briefly worked as an underwear model. Evan is not related to the billionaire Marriott family.
The women were taken on luxurious dates and treated to a lavish lifestyle, all while being kept in the dark about Evan's true financial status. As the show progressed, Evan was tasked with eliminating women until only one remained.
In the finale, Evan had to choose between the final two women and then reveal his secret. The winner, substitute teacher Zora Andrich, was shocked to learn the truth but ultimately decided to stay with Evan. They split a $1 million surprise prize that came with the show.
The show was a ratings juggernaut, with 40 million viewers tuning in each week. The show also faced criticism for its premise of deceiving the contestants. It highlighted the role that wealth and status can play in dating and relationships. A second season, "The Next Joe Millionaire," followed in 2003, but the show was not continued after that.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
After Joe Millionaire
At the height of "Joe Millionaire," Joe was one of the most famous and recognizable people in America. He appeared in commercials and dozens of talk shows. After the excitement of Joe Millionaire faded, Evan went back to working construction, though he has also continued to act sporadically. His after-tax share of half the show's $1 million prize equated to around $250,000. Joe used that money to start his own contracting business in Southern California, which he still runs today.
As for what happened to his half of the $1 million prize, after taxes, he received around $250,000. In a 2012 interview, he claimed to have given most of it away.
In a 2015 interview with Virginia-based Daily Press, Joe reflected on his wild reality ride:
"A lot of guilt came with that money. I didn't have the most rushing yards in a season, and I didn't invent the longest-lasting light bulb or cure cancer. All I did was show up and date 21 girls, and I didn't really even do that. I made a lot of money, and I spent a lot of money. I gave a lot away because I'm a sucker for a sad story….
It's funny, but it seems to me that the media and Hollywood love a 'rags to riches and back to rags' story. I had somebody trying to do an interview with me and they'd heard I was living on the street or something like that. Far, far, far from the truth. I've been doing fine since the show. A lot of the money is gone, but I have a pretty successful business that has weathered the recession."
