Prize: $1 million
What You Actually Get: $1 million if you wait 40 years, $375,000 or so right now
Having a ridiculous or Vegas-worthy talent pays off for winners of
America's Got Talent, it just takes half of their life. The prize is technically an annuity that matures over 40 years, as the
closing credits reveal. Like lottery winners,
Talent winners can take a smaller prize upfront, around $375,000, depending upon interest rates, but otherwise, they receive just $25,000 a year. There are other jobs in Las Vegas that probably pay more than that, though they're not quite prime-time TV material.