Ben Driebergen

He's like, "Why did you do that to me, man?" I got caught red-handed. Survivor 40, E12

Winner

Played on

76 days played

Game record

Vote alignment76%of 25 ballots

67th percentile of 423 castaways

Idol impact3of 4 idol plays canceled a vote

84th percentile of 45 idol players

Jury vote share63%of 8 jury votes

75th percentile of 125 finalists

Occupation at casting Marine, Real Estate/Stay-at-home Dad Hometown Boise, Idaho

Beyond Survivor

The Challenge

Played with 36 castaways across 2 seasons See every connection ↓

Driebergen has shared a beach with thirty-six castaways, inside the most-connected tenth of everyone who has played.

Biography

Ben Driebergen won Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (Season 35) on the strength of a desperate, thrilling idol-hunting endgame. A Marine Corps veteran, Ben found idol after idol to survive when the entire game turned against him, culminating in a season that introduced a dramatic new fire-making twist at the final four, which sent him to the end.

His relentless, never-say-die run made him one of the more improbable winners of the modern era, and he returned for the all-winners Survivor: Winners at War (Season 40).

Tough, resourceful and impossible to eliminate down the stretch, Ben Driebergen is remembered as the veteran who idol-hunted his way to the title, his Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers victory built on pure survival under fire.

Get to know Ben Driebergen

Ben Driebergen's own answers from the pre-game cast profile CBS published before the season aired.

Claim to fame: Being a good dad and husband.
Hobbies: Circle track car racing, building and shooting guns, and camping with my family.
Pet peeves: Whining.
Inspiration: Michael Blake Wafford because he gave his life for our country. We were together in Iraq and we were a team.
Castaway they say they are most like: I'm a mix of Russell Hantz, Boston Rob, and Joe Anglim. I'm a little conniving and manipulative like Russell, have the determination and confidence of Boston Rob, and the athletic ability of Joe.
Why they wanted to play: Winning a million dollars and being on an island and living with nothing.
Luxury item: My cowboy hat, my boots, and my running shoes.

Alliances fans have named

Survivor never names an alliance on screen. These names, and who counts as a member, are how the fan community records the game rather than an official record of it.

Birthplace, pre-game profile and alliance facts adapted from Survivor Fandom and Wikipedia, retrieved 2026-07-21. Licensed CC BY-SA.

Fan poll Players

Survivor Hall of Fame: is Ben Driebergen in or out?

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Seasons

Ben Driebergen's Survivor seasons and results
Season	Result	Days	Tribes	Votes against	Confessionals
Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Season 35, 2017		39 of 39 days	Levu Yawa Solewa	2	70
Winners at War Season 40, 2020	18th voted out	37 of 39 days	Sele Yara Koru	5	35