What Did Mai Do With The Squid Game Money
So, you’ve probably binged Squid Game, right? It was everywhere for a while, a total cultural phenomenon! We were all glued to our screens, wondering who would make it, who wouldn't, and of course, the million-dollar question: what would happen with all that insane prize money? Especially after Seong Gi-hun, our sweet, flawed hero, actually won the whole shebang.
But then… the ending. Gi-hun walks away, looking haunted, with a suitcase full of cash. And we're left thinking, "Okay, what now? What does a guy do with… well, all of that?" It's the ultimate "what if" scenario, isn't it? Like, imagine winning the lottery, but instead of a few million, it's enough to buy a small country. What do you even do?
The Gi-Hun Conundrum: Money vs. Morals
Let's be honest, Gi-hun wasn't exactly living his best life before the games. He was drowning in debt, struggling to be a decent dad, and generally a bit of a mess. So, on the surface, winning seems like the ultimate solution. He can pay off his debts, give his daughter the life she deserves, and finally stop being a disappointment. Easy peasy, right?
But then you remember how he won. The sheer horror, the loss of every single person he met and, in many cases, grew to care about. The games were built on exploitation and death. That kind of trauma doesn't just disappear because you have a mountain of cash. It sticks with you, like that one song you can't get out of your head, except way, way darker.
So, when Gi-hun finally got that money, it wasn't just cash. It was… blood money. It was the price of everyone else's lives. And that’s where it gets really interesting. What do you do with money that feels so heavy?
The Obvious Choices (and Why They Don't Quite Fit)
You’d think the first thing he’d do is, you know, buy a nice house. Maybe a fancy car. Live a life of luxury he could only dream of before. And sure, he could. He has enough money to live like a king for the rest of his days, and then some. He could probably buy every nice thing he ever saw in a magazine and then some.
He could also just… disappear. Go to a remote island, live in solitude, and try to forget everything that happened. A total hermit-chic lifestyle. Who can blame him after what he went through? Imagine trying to explain your new beachfront villa was paid for by a deadly children's game. Yeah, not exactly small talk material.
But the thing about Gi-hun is, even with all his flaws, he has a good heart. We saw him trying to help people in the games, even when it put him at risk. He’s not a purely selfish person. So, just hoarding the money for himself, while understandable, doesn’t feel like the Gi-hun way, does it?
The Weight of Legacy: More Than Just a Paycheck
This is where the Squid Game ending really shines, I think. Gi-hun doesn't just go on a shopping spree. He waits. He sees his daughter, he sees the impact of his absence, and he’s clearly wrestling with something huge. That money isn’t just a solution to his problems; it’s a responsibility.
Think about it like this: you find a lost wallet with a million dollars inside. Your first thought is probably, "Wow, I'm rich!" But then you’d also feel a pang of guilt, right? You’d want to find the owner. Gi-hun is the owner of this money, but the "owner" of the games, the organizers, are a whole other beast. And they're still out there.
What if that money isn't just for him? What if it's a tool? A weapon, even? He saw firsthand how people are exploited, how desperation drives them to extreme measures. He saw the system that created the games in the first place.
The Seeds of Rebellion
When he finally makes that call at the end, his eyes are burning with a different kind of fire than before. It’s not just despair; it’s determination. He’s not just a victim anymore. He’s a survivor with a target on his back and a massive bank account. What’s he going to do with that?
My guess? He’s going to fight back. That money is his leverage. It’s his resources. It’s the fuel for whatever war he’s about to wage against the people who run the games. He can’t bring back the dead, but maybe he can stop it from happening to anyone else.
Imagine him, not as a luxury yacht owner, but as a mysterious benefactor. Someone who secretly helps those in desperate situations, those who are on the brink of falling into the same traps he did. He could be funding anti-poverty initiatives, setting up helplines, or even… discreetly investigating the VIPs and facilitators of the games.
It’s like he’s become a vigilante, but instead of a cape, he has a briefcase full of cash. And instead of fighting street crime, he’s taking on a global syndicate that preys on the vulnerable. It's a far cry from his initial goal of just providing for his daughter, but it feels like a more profound purpose.
The Ultimate "What If"
The beauty of Gi-hun’s situation is that the possibilities are endless. He’s got the ultimate blank check to rewrite his own story, and potentially, the stories of others. He could fund a documentary exposing the truth. He could start a foundation in the names of those he lost. He could even… well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but the potential for good (or even more complicated things) is immense.
It’s a fascinating thought experiment, isn't it? What would you do with that kind of money, knowing the dark origins? Would you be able to truly enjoy it? Or would the ghosts of the games follow you, urging you to use it for something more?
For Gi-hun, I think it's the latter. He's too good a person, despite his mistakes, to simply live a life of selfish luxury. That money is a burden, yes, but it's also a powerful opportunity. And seeing him poised to use it for something bigger than himself is, I think, the most compelling part of his journey. He's no longer just a player; he's become a force to be reckoned with.