India Gants, winner of the 23rd cycle of America's Next Top Model (ANTM) in 2017, has revealed that she spent her $100,000 cash prize within a year and later had to set up a payment plan to cover the taxes owed.
In a TikTok video, the 29-year-old content creator explained that she received the full sum without any tax deducted. Believing she would continue earning large sums from modelling, she ignored her parents' advice to set aside 30 per cent for taxes. Instead, she spent over $60,000 on a year's rent for a New York City apartment, plus additional costs on a broker, lifestyle expenses, and a move to Los Angeles.
When tax season arrived, she owed between $35,000 and $40,000 but had no savings left. Gants said she had thought winning the show would lead to a steady stream of income, but that did not materialise. She ended up on a payment plan to clear the tax debt over a long period.
Reflecting on her experience, Gants admitted she would now invest the money rather than spend it, but acknowledged she learned valuable lessons about financial planning. She is not the only ANTM winner to face financial challenges; Adrianne Curry, the first-season winner, previously said her prize modelling contract was disappointing, paying only $15,000.
