Million Dollar Secretwinner, Cara Kies, managed to fly under the radar throughout most of the season, but when she became the secret millionaire as the game was almost coming to an end,Cara pulled out all the stops to ensure she was the last one standing.Million Dollar Secret season 1features 12 strangers who compete against each other in a high-stakes game of clever strategy and brutal manipulation to see who can out the millionaire first. If the millionaire goes undetected, in the end, he or she will be the winner.
Cara didn’t make her presence as known as some of the other players, likeMillion Dollar Secret’s Sam SepulvedaandMillion Dollar Secret’s Sydnee Falkner.
Cara was a sweet, unassuming woman who worked at In-N-Out Burger, but beyond that, she didn’t reveal as much about her personal life.
This was savvy, because the more she revealed, the more holes others could poke in her story. This would lead to suspicion and potentially being eliminated.Cara maintained a bit of mystery about her, so when she came from behind to win it all in the end, it was a surprise for many.
Cara Won A Million Dollars On Million Dollar Secret
Cara Won At The Last Minute
Cara became the secret millionaireat the beginning of episode 7. With only eight episodes, this was a coup for Cara, as having the money at the end of the series is the only thing that matters. Cara tearfully told host Peter Serafinowicz that the money would be “life-changing,” as she had never had an easy life. Her father had been ill growing up, and she’d lost her brother when he was murdered at just 14 years old.
Once she became the millionaire, a new side of Cara emerged.
She was able to lie through her teeth masterfully, telling Sam she only had one sister (she has two), because she said she had an idea that one of the clues about the millionaire would be sibling-related.That lie won Cara the game, as it removed her from Sam’s suspicions.
Cara also threw a challenge so that her partner, Sydnee, would be eliminated. And in the very last challenge, Cara outsmarted Corey and Sam by strategically pitting Sam and Corey against each other, leaving her free to emerge as the winner. When Cara was revealed as the winner, it became clear as day that Cara had been in control the entire time.
Cara Went Back To Work At In-N-Out To Keep Win A Secret
Cara Couldn’t Reveal Her Winnings
Million Dollar Secretwas filmed at The Stagin Canada in May 2024, and didn’t air on Netflix until March 2025. This mean that, for nearly a year, Cara had to keep her winnings a secret so as not to reveal who won the game. So, what did Cara do in that year?She went back to work at In-N-Outin order to not draw suspicion. Just like in the game, Cara had to fly under the radar again until she could reveal her winnings.
Cara, 29, told Netflix’sTudumthat she went back to work like nothing had happened. Most of her coworkers had no idea she’d even been gone.
“I went back to flipping burgers. No one even knew I was gone. When the show came out, [my co-workers] were like, ‘When did you go? We didn’t know you even left for a month.’ It’s just been crazy having this huge secret that no one knows. It’s such a weird feeling. I’m so grateful. I’m just this average burger-flipping girl with this huge secret. People are like, ‘So did you win?’ I’m like, ‘If I won, I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret.’ Oh, my gosh, I’m still lying outside the house.”
Seems like Cara is good at holding her cards close to her chest, no matter the circumstances.
What Cara Plans To Do With Her Winnings
Cara Wants To Help Her Family
Cara, a Southern California native, is married to her high-school sweetheart, Andreas Kies. The two have a dog named Banks, and are very family-oriented, as evidenced by their social media posts. Cara toldTodaythat she plans on using the money to help her and her husband.
“I plan on foremost, just helping my family. We’ve experienced back-to-back losses on so many things and never anything good. Just helping them, my husband, and just making sure we’re all good—that’s all I could ask for.”
She also told the publication that her family’s support helped her win the show - they’re over the moon after her win, saying, “They are so happy for me, they all know what a dream come true this is! My dad is getting text messages from his coworkers that would never watch Netflix and they’re all just so proud.”
