Who Is ‘Survivor’ Season 48 Contestant Kevin Leung? Meet the Finance Manager Causing ‘Chaos’

Kevin Leung is one of the 18 castaways to join the Survivor franchise in February 2025, looking to create “calculated chaos” amid his debut on season 48 in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji.

Who Is ‘Survivor’ Season 48 Contestant Kevin Leung?

Kevin is a 33-year-old, who currently works as a finance manager for a technology company. He comes from two engineer parents from Hong Kong who pressured him early on into becoming a “doctor, lawyer or engineer.”

“I was like, ‘What’s the least amount of school?’ And they said, ‘Probably an engineer.’ So I was like, ‘OK, what’s the easiest engineer?’ And they said, ‘Civil engineer.’ So I was a civil engineer for a little bit,” he explained in a January 2025 interview with Parade. “And then I was like, “I just can’t work in AutoCAD and drawings all day.” It’s not my vibe. I’m much more of a people person; I like talking. So I went to business, and then now I’m in finance, so I just kind of pivoted careers.”

Where Is ‘Survivor’ Season 48 Contestant Kevin Leung From?

Kevin currently resides in his hometown of Livermore, California.

Kevin Leung Said His Abercrombie & Fitch Experience Was a ‘Highlight’ of His Life

Kevin said his post-college side job at Abercrombie & Fitch was one of the life experiences he felt most prepared him for the game.

Who Is Your Favorite ‘Survivor’ Contestant of All Time?

“I was like, ‘Oh, what a success story!’ I never thought that I would be even working at Abercrombie to begin with, someone like that looks like me,” he explained. “But then the manager was like, ‘OK, your job is to charm people. Make people feel like a million dollars when they come in the store. Recommend different items. Say, This looks great. Be hospitable, be friendly.’”

The Survivor star said the position trained him to be more well-spoken in business situations. He explained, “And I feel like that’s kind of how it got me in life. I got through an MBA; I was number one in my class. I work in tech now, a really big tech company, working there for six years. And I feel like all of it is how to charm people.”

Kevin Leung Identifies With ‘Survivor: Cook Islands’ Winner So Yul

Survivor: Cook Islands winner Sol Yul was one of the first people Kevin connected with when watching the series. “Because of representation. But me and him are totally different. He’s methodical; he weighs the options. He’s quieter,” he told Parade. “I’m just kind of chaotic and a little bit disheveled. Some of my friends call me ‘chaotic friendly.’ I love to smile; I love to laugh. But sometimes my brain is firing at all cylinders of my thoughts.”

In addition, Kevin also appreciated the gameplay from the David tribe when watching the David vs. Goliath season in 2018, and said the season was the reason he applied to the game. “I was like, ‘They’re Davids. I feel like a David.’ And there are people here who aren’t the best at one thing. They’re just here to prove themselves,” he recounted. “I grew up really skinny, really small. I had glasses, braces, was made fun of at school for not being good at sports or just like other things. So Christian, Davie, Nick, the David tribe itself is someone that I really like to be.”