We’re happy to inform you that Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, who met and fell in love on season 23 of Big Brother and then went on to win The Amazing Race (and its $1 million prize… no biggie), are still together and thriving.
What did Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss do with their Amazing Race money?
Derek and Claire stayed true to what they said during the finale of The Amazing Race‘s Season 34 and bought a new apartment with their mouthwatering monetary prize. Although they had moved in together before the competition, leaving New York for sunny Los Angeles, they relocated to a gorgeous one-bedroom duplex with a loft. They detailed their decorating process to Us Weekly, describing their style as a combination of their favorite aesthetics — Derek’s Japanese streetwear culture meets Claire’s ’70s boho chic.
What are Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss doing after winning The Amazing Race?
When Derek and Claire signed up for The Amazing Race they were fresh off participating in Big Brother, but were still working day jobs as a product manager and an AI Engineer. After their win, they both quit their jobs to be full-time content creators and influencers on social media, like YouTube and Instagram. In a “Where we are now” type of vlog documenting and celebrating their achievements one year on from The Amazing Race, Derek confessed to making “the majority of [his] income from brand sponsorships.”
As for Claire, she quit her corporate position and moved to LA just before signing up for her second reality show, and has been dedicated to “influencing” ever since. She says the million-dollar prize brought stability to her life after a “chaotic year” between Big Brother and The Amazing Race, but that she still hopes to go back to work eventually. “I have more financial confidence,” she shared, but conceded that quitting her job cost her some “financial stability.”
The two seem to be as in love and dedicated to their relationship as ever. After dating for two years, Derek says Claire has taught him to be more empathetic, while Claire praises the effect Derek’s optimism has had on her life.