Which 'Big Brother 17' Contestant Is The Richest?

Have you ever wondered which contestant on Big Brother 17 is the richest? OK, obviously all members would like some extra money, being that they joined a reality television competition with a big cash prize at the end. Still, this season's cast features an eclectic mix of careers, with some admittedly wanting to pay off student loans, while others have garnered previous fame with careers in wrestling and professional poker. After some thorough research (thank you, internet!), I was astounded to find just how much sweet coin some of the Big Brother contestants are potentially making as I breathe and type. There are some that may be breaking the six-figure mark, while others have already made millions of dollars in their careers!

Seriously, those-who-shall-soon-be-named, do you even have a desire to win a cash prize, or do you just like the idea of appearing on television and earning national bragging rights? No hate, of course — I've been perfecting my Bachelor application for years (I can't wait for my first rose ceremony). For your reading pleasure, Big Brother fans, I have broken down each contestant's guesstimated income to determine which is likely the richest houseguest.

Audrey Middleton

According to her bio, Middleton has "worked some interesting jobs, including a pizza delivery person and an MMRA" girl. She always dazzles with her attire, accessories, and makeup which makes me think she's definitely saved a good amount of dough — or knows of the best deals around. She is also a Digital Media Consultant in Georgia, which has an average national salary of $36,297.

Austin Matelson

Matelson worked his way into the world of pro wrestling, but had to exit that career after incurring injuries and went into alternative rehabilitation practices through his partnership with Athilates. I would say that with his high education, career in pro wrestling, and current rehabilitation practices he makes a pretty penny. Then again, many of us know of the woes of student loans (which he may or may not have), so that could put a dent in his account.

Becky Burgess

Burgess' occupation is listed as Retail Manager, a job that has a national average salary of $55,825. In her introductory video, however, Burgess toted of obtaining some exciting opportunities throughout her career, which even led her to running a store in Germany! I'm guessing that with her experience, raises, and unique opportunities that her salary could potentially be close to the triple digits, or at least more than a few grand above the national average.

Clay Honeycutt

OK, I'm going to state right here and now that I do not believe that Honeycutt is even close to being the richest houseguest. Why? According to his bio, he is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Sports Management. That is truly an admirable pursuit, and I have no doubt that he will go on to be successful. Still, as a former college my student myself, I can say that it is infinitely difficult to make money while in school — particularly in the case of an advanced degree.

Da'Vonne Rogers

Rogers is a poker dealer in Los Angeles, California. The highest national average salary for poker dealers is $37,491, which is not shabby at all, but probably not the highest salary amongst the houseguests. Perhaps she can use those skills to become a professional poker player one day, though, and outrank all of us.

Jace Agolli

Agolli is a personal trainer and also an adrenaline junkie. Depending on his clientele, Agolli could be earning anything from $20,429 to $84,072 annually, but the national average is $37,449. The sporty contestant also noted that he performs music on the side in his introductory video, so there could be some supplemental income as well depending on the types of gigs he's taken.

Jackie Ibarra

This is a tough one! Ibarra is a self-described "hustler," who has danced for the Miami Heat, performed as a magician's assistant, and also competed on The Amazing Race. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada (not the cheapest place to stay), and certainly knows how to get glammed up, so I'd wager a guess the hustling is going pretty well. Still, she's competed on two reality shows for money, so I'm guessing she wouldn't mind the extra coin.

James Huling

Huling likely makes more than graduate student, Honeycutt, but I'd wager a guess he's not close to being the richest contestant. Huling works as a retail associate, which boasts a national average salary of $33,000. As someone who spent a few years as a retail associate, myself, I can say that entry level associates often earn lower than the average.

Jason Roy

With sass and style like Roy's, I feel my favorite contestant should be making all the money in the world! However, as a supermarket cashier, he's likely in the same boat as Huling, with the highest average rates for such a position being $15.08 per hour.

Jeff Weldon

As an Account Executive, Weldon likely makes a pretty decent salary, with the national average being $57,000 — not too shabby at all! Like Ibarra, he also competed on The Amazing Race, so perhaps he's on the lower end since he's been pressed to compete for money on TV more than once.

John McGuire

How would you like McGuire to manically request you to "open wide" during your next dentist visit? I, personally, find him delightful, so wouldn't mind, but that's just me. The point I'm making with that anecdote is that McGuire's listed occupation is that of dentist, so he's likely making a pretty penny. The median salary for said occupation is listed as $123,431. However, he has also noted that his inspiration for winning is to "save his parents lake house and finally pay off his student loans," so there's a definite need for some extra finances there.

Liz Nolan

One-half of the twin twist works as a marketing coordinator in Miami. The national average salary for said position is listed as $44,609, which is not bad at all, but likely not the highest of the household.

Meg Maley

According to her BB17 bio, Maley works as a server in New York City. Servers are not widely known as making a ton of money, but — depending on the restaurant she works at and type of clientele — Maley could be racking up a good amount of cash in tips. The national average salary for serves is listed as $24,383, so it's unlikely that even with tips she has the highest salary of all the contestants.

Shelli Poole

Poole works as an interior designer, which has a median salary of $42,896. She has boasted of her success with clients, so she may be above the average. Plus, she was a Big Brother fan before applying to the show, so perhaps her ambition for becoming a contestant had more to do with fandom than monetary need.

Steve Moses

Moses is a full-time college student, so I'm just going to assume that, NO, he is not the richest contestant by far. However, being that he is studying Mechanical Engineering at an Ivy League school, I'm guessing he will be seeing a very lucrative future.

Vanessa Rousso

Rousso is a professional poker player who — according to her BB17 bio — "has won $4.5 million dollars since she began." Yeah, I'm pretty sure she is richer than anyone in the house combined, and her main motivation for being in the house is that she loves money and likes to win, but isn't really hard-up for it.

Julia Nolan

The other half of the twin twist, Julia, is currently a marketing intern, so she's out as far as richest contestants go.

Who Is The Richest?

No, it's not Mcguire, but I felt the *shouts* part of this GIF was appropriate for a big reveal. There's no real way to definitively tell who makes the most money of all the contestants, but based on the facts at hand, I would say it is a toss up between wrestler Matelson and poker player Rousso.

Images: Sonja Fleming/CBS (3); Giphy (12)