Ian Weber, aka Player 148, was the lucky winner of the $1.8 million private island in Beast Games Season 2, but did he keep it or trade it for cash? Ian has provided an answer and his reasoning behind his decision.
MrBeast gave away a similar island in Season 1 of his Prime Video competition series, with Player 952, Mia Speight – who returns in Season 2 – bagging the prize. However, in the second chapter, the island is won through a Survivor crossover episode.
Ten players were shipped off to Survivor Island in Fiji, where they took part in a series of familiar games, with MrBeast and Jeff Probst co-hosting the episode. In the end, it was down to just two finalists: Ian and returning Season 1 villain, JC (Player 566).
The remaining eight players took part in a Tribal Council, voting for who should win the island. And it was a landslide, with all eight voting for Ian. Warning: spoilers for Beast Games Season 2 Episode 5 ahead!
Ian Weber (Player 148) on what he did with Beast Games Season 2 island
Player 148, Ian Weber, has since revealed that MrBeast and the team gave him the option of keeping the island or taking the money – and he chose the latter.
His choice makes sense, given his reasoning for being on the show. Ian explains in the Tribal Council, “I told my wife. ‘I’m going to bring home something for us so we can live comfortably as a family.’”
As a father and husband, Ian had worked at a corporate job six to seven days a week for 14 years, saying that they made him feel like there was nothing else he could do. Even so, he states, “The money that’s in my bank account… it’s never been as close to zero as it is right now.”
What’s more, he told the other contestants that if it came to it and he won the island, he’d self-eliminate to give his fellow players the chance to win the $5 million cash prize. This, coupled with the fact that JC already bagged $650,000 last season, led to him winning the island.
Prime VideoUltimately, Ian stays true to his word, choosing to sacrifice himself in the cubes challenge in Beast Games Season 2 Episode 5.
Although it might feel fresh, the second chapter was filmed in June 2025, meaning Ian’s had plenty of time to figure out what to do with his $1.8 million island.
Appearing on RHAP: We Know Reality TV, he said, “I had the option of whether I could own it or cash it out and I thought about it – it would be nice,” adding that while Survivor Island is in Fiji, his one is located in Panama.
“Jimmy was amazing enough to fly me out to Panama. I stepped on my island, I’m walking around. He showed me around my villa, my king-size bed, and my pool.
Prime Video“We’re walking away from it and I turn and look at him and I say, ‘You know what, brother, I think I’ll take the 1.8 million dollars.”
Not only did MrBeast oblige, but he gave Ian the option to cash out right away. “Instead of going through the whole sale process, he could just pay me out, and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’”
It’s obvious why he would want to take the cash over the island, as the money sets up him and his family for life. But there’s also the fact that logistically, it wouldn’t have made sense to keep it.
“We fly to Panama, I’m in the car for two hours, I get on a boat for three hours, I get to my island, and [I thought], ‘This just is not gonna make sense for me. Like, how am I gonna get out here?’ You know, it would be difficult,” he added.
What did Mia Speight (Player 952) do with the island?
Prime VideoAs said, Player 952, aka Mia Speight, won the $1.8 million island in Season 1 of Beast Games. She was given the same opportunity as Ian, and she made the same decision: take the money.
Mia – who returned in Beast Games Season 2 but was eliminated during the Captain’s Bribe – spoke with The Baltimore Banner last year to explain why she cashed out.
“Well, I thought of it as a literal blessing but it was more figurative than something I would actually be able to do anything with,” she said (via Soap Central).
“It’s uninhabited – there’s no running water on the island. The electricity was [run by] all generators. I felt as though it was in my best interest to receive the alternative monetary value for the island.”
Where is the $1.8 million Beast Games island?
Prime VideoAs revealed by Ian, the island given away in Beast Games is located in Panama. To be more specific, it’s in the Pearl Islands, approximately 30 miles south of the Panamanian mainland.
Named La Vivienda Island or Isla La Vivienda, it’s uninhabited, boasts beautiful beaches and clear waters, and is nearby to other islands like Bayoneta.
Since it’s owned by MrBeast and his team, you can’t visit the island yourself. Although it includes a villa and resort-style features, it lacks permanent infrastructure, meaning upkeep, staffing, and transport would fall entirely on the owner.
For most winners, the reality of maintaining a remote private island quickly makes the cash option far more practical.
Beast Games Season 2 Episode 6 drops on Prime Video on January 28. Until then, find out if Players 152 and 173 are still together, why Player 21 dropped out of the island challenge, and find more new TV shows streaming this month.
