Here's How Much Money 'Drag Race' Queens Spent to Compete on the Show
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That’s a whole lot of doll hairs, henny!
MTV; Paramount+; VH1
Drag is not a contact sport – and it isn’t a cheap one, either.
Over the years, wildly different amounts of money have been spent by queens while preparing to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Since most queens are not very famous prior to getting cast on the show, everything they spend to go on Drag Race feels like a significant financial burden to them. This has become a huge dilemma within the franchise considering that these queens have no guarantee of how far they’ll make it in the competition.
Having a high Drag Race budget is slightly easier for contestants going into All Stars seasons after that they’ve already been touring, selling merch, and getting more bookings. On the other hand, being a returning queen often raises the pressure for them to spend even more money than they had during their original seasons, which creates yet another conundrum.
Scroll through to find out how much money queens have spent in preparation to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race over the years.
Heidi N Closet – $40,000 (All Stars 8)
\u201cSeason 12 spent 4,000\nAlas stars spent 40,000\u2026after canceling 60,000 dollars worth of gigs\u201d
— Heidi N Closet (@Heidi N Closet) 1685458390
“Season 12 spent 4,000 Alas stars spent 40,000…after canceling 60,000 dollars worth of gigs”
In a tweet, Heidi N Closet revealed that she spent $4,000 on her package for Drag Race season 12, as well as a gag-worthy $40,000 to prepare for All Stars 8. The queen also noted that she had to cancel $60,000 worth of gigs in order to film the All Stars season.
Kahanna Montrese – $40,000 (All Stars 8)
\u201c@HeidiNCloset I spent the exact same \ud83e\udd23 but it was so worth it!\u201d
— Heidi N Closet (@Heidi N Closet) 1685458390
“@HeidiNCloset I spent the exact same 🤣 but it was so worth it!”
In response to N Closet’s tweet, Kahanna Montrese disclosed that she spent “the exact same” amount of money ($40,000) in preparation for All Stars 8. “But it was so worth it,” she added.
Ra’Jah O’Hara – $2,000 (Canada vs the World 1)
\u201c@HeidiNCloset S11- spent $1500\nAS6-$600\nCWV- $2000\u2026. Worth every penny!\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc51\u201d
— Heidi N Closet (@Heidi N Closet) 1685458390
“@HeidiNCloset S11- spent $1500 AS6-$600 CWV- $2000…. Worth every penny!💜👑”
Ra’Jah O’Hara also replied to N Closet’s tweet with a breakdown of how much money she spent on each Drag Race season she competed in: $1,500 for season 11, $600 for All Stars 6, and $2,000 for Canada vs the World. Thankfully, O’Hara walked out of her latest season having won the grand prize of Can$100,000.
Trixie Mattel – $600 (Season 7)
Kiki with Gottmik! (Addressing the "Gottmeek" Controversy)
In a video with Gottmik, Trixie Mattel disclosed that she only spent $600 to compete on season seven of Drag Race.
Gottmik – $20,000 (Season 13)
During that same video with Trixie, Gottmik revealed that her budget for Drag Race season 13 was a whopping $20,000.
Kim Chi – $1,500 (Season 8)
Best of Kim Chi (Compilation) | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8
Unlike some of her high-spending peers, Kim Chi told Paper Magazine that she only spent $1,500 in preparation for season eight of Drag Race.
Sasha Velour – $4,000 (Season 9)
Best of Sasha Velour | Top 4 | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9
Sasha Velour, the winner of Drag Race season nine, spent a total of $4,000 to compete on the show, as reported by Vice.
Aquaria – $5,000 (Season 10)
Best of Aquaria (Compilation) | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10
Aquaria told Vice that she spent $5,000 to prepare for season 10 of Drag Race.
Bob the Drag Queen – $6,000 (Season 8)
Best Of Bob The Drag Queen ✨ RuPaul’s Drag Race
A total of $6,000 was spent by Bob the Drag Queen in her entire Drag Race package – including her season eight finale looks (via Vice).
Yvie Oddly – $14,000 (Season 11)
Best Of Yvie Oddly 👁 RuPaul’s Drag Race
Yvie Oddly told Vice that she spent upwards of $14,000 while preparing for season 11 of Drag Race.
Mo Heart – $20,000 (All Stars 4)
Meet Monique Heart: Me Again, Bitch! | RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4
Another figure reported by Vice included the $20,000 spent by Mo Heart when she went back on All Stars 4.
Trinity the Tuck – $20,000 (All Stars 4)
Meet Trinity The Tuck: Crazy Country Mess | RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4
Trinity the Tuck spent $20,000 on her drag package to compete on All Stars 4, which was revealed during an interview with In Magazine.
Blu Hydrangea – $26,050 (UK vs the World 1)
Blu Hydrangea created a series of videos detailing how much she spent on each of her looks for UK vs the World. The total amount of her investment came up to $26,050.
Icesis Couture – $70,000 (Canada vs the World 1)
Icesis & Kendall: Roscoe's Canada VS The World Viewing Party with Naysha, Batty & Kara
Icesis Couture spent as much as $70,000 while preparing for season one of Canada vs the World. She revealed this information during a viewing party at Roscoe’s Tavern, which was captured on video and shared on YouTube.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks – $100,000 (Season 15)
Reddit - Dive into anything
Mistress Isabelle Brooks revealed during an Instagram live (re-shared on Reddit) that she spent a total of $100,000 to compete on Drag Race season 15. A whopping $40,000 were spent on her finale looks alone.
