Love Island USA Winners Amaya & Bryan Share Prize – and Their Purpose

Written by: Ronke Adepoju

July 18, 2025

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After taking home the crown (and the cash) on Love Island USA Season 7, winners Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales are doing something most reality show couples don’t: They’re giving some of it away.

Their Plan? Mental Health Giving

The couple, who chose to split the prize money, say they plan to donate a portion to mental health-focused charities – a cause close to both of their hearts.

It’s a rare move in the world of instant fame and overnight fortune. And it says a lot about how aligned they are – not just as a couple, but as future stewards of wealth.

What Would You Do With a Windfall?

Whether it’s prize money, a lottery win, or a big inheritance, sudden wealth changes everything. Yet, few people have a plan in place when it happens.

Start with the basics:

• Talk openly with your partner about your values, passions and goals
• Build a team – a financial planner or wealth manager, tax professional, and estate attorney can help: they’ll help you decide between lump-sum and annuity options, navigate taxes, and set up accounts to manage your money wisely.

Myth: Most Lottery Winners Go Bankrupt

You’ve probably heard it: “70% of lottery winners go broke within a few years.”

That statistic? Not real.

It comes from a comment at a 2001 symposium hosted by the National Endowment for Financial Education. A speaker floated the 70% figure without hard data. But media outlets ran with it – and it stuck.

Reality? Some winners thrive. Others crash. The difference is planning.

Here’s What Smart Winners Do:

Invest for long-term lifestyle goals:  create a personalized financial plan with clear spending and investment strategies.

• Set clear spending and investment strategies
• Choose between lump sum or annuity with expert help
• Reduce taxes with charitable deductions the year you claim and set up donor-advised funds to give over time.
• Pace Yourself – sudden wealth can shift social dynamics and strain relationships. Avoid rushing into major purchases. Let your lifestyle evolve slowly and intentionally.

Money is an amplifier: it makes good things better – and bad things worse. The goal isn’t to spend more. It’s to live better.

The Wealth Break Takeaway

Sudden wealth can be a gift or a burden. What makes the difference? A plan. A team. And honest conversations.

Expect your relationships to change – sometimes in uncomfortable ways. Friends may grow envious. Strangers may suddenly want to connect. But through it all, your wealth can reflect your values – or expose your blind spots. The smartest winners treat one-time income as a long-term opportunity.

Give back. Invest wisely. Ease into change.

Above all: talk about it – with your financial planner, tax expert, partner, and yourself.

While money won’t change who you are… it will change what’s possible.