Some people would never put their lives on the line for money, but that's exactly what happens on Netflix's hit series The Squid Game, which returns for its second season on December 26. In fact, 456 people decide to sign up for a series of games that turn out to be extremely deadly. Every time someone dies in the games, either from the games themselves or for failing and being executed, another 100,000,000 won is added to the prize pot, stored in a giant piggy bank suspended from the ceiling. Whoever wins also has 100,000,000 won on their head, which means that the total prize for the survivor of the squid games is 45.6 billion won. That seems like an absolutely ridiculous amount of money, but how much is it?

We know that the prize money would be enough for a person to completely start their life over and do almost anything they want, join the wealthy elite and escape whatever conditions forced them into the games in the first place. But how much is that in US currency, and is it really worth the horror of reliving the games and knowing that 455 other desperate people died so you could get it?

As of December 2024, 45.6 billion won is worth approximately $31.8 million, which is definitely life-changing money. Joining the millionaire class means leaving the struggles of working life behind forever, and for many of the competitors it means escaping serious problems. Contestants like the first season's Kang Sae-baeok (Jung Ho-hyeon), who defected from North Korea with her younger brother, wanted to win the prize not only for a better life, but also to get her mother out of the totalitarian northern state. The stakes are incredibly high for everyone involved - it's literally life or death - for everyone the budget of one episode of Stranger Things. Capitalism, baby!

For those of you not in the US, the prize is worth 25 million British pounds, 30.4 million euros, 45.2 million Canadian dollars and 50 million Australian dollars, for some context. No matter where you live, it's an absolutely huge reward. That begs the question of how much a single person is worth, because 100 million won is about $70k, which just seems incredibly low. Then again, life should be considered priceless, and that's part of the point of the dang show. If only Netflix understood that and wasn't here to do it multiple seasons of the reality game show Squid Game. and collection in cash while on The creator of the South Korean drama did next to nothing. Life imitates art, I guess.

Season 2 of The Squid Game premieres on December 26, 2024, streaming exclusively on Netflix.