Reality Star Turned LA Mayoral Candidate Spencer Pratt Reveals 2012 $10M Apocalypse Spending Panic

Reality television personality and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is at the centre of controversy again after details resurfaced about how he and his wife, Heidi Montag, reportedly spent millions of dollars amid fears surrounding the highly publicised 2012 apocalypse prediction.

The couple, who rose to fame on MTV's The Hills, previously admitted they burned through a fortune after becoming convinced the world was nearing its end.

Now running in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race, Pratt has recently drawn public interest in the story as his political campaign gains traction online through viral videos and social media-driven publicity. Recent coverage from the Los Angeles Times and other outlets has highlighted his unusual campaign style and growing visibility in the race.

Doomsday Fears Costing Millions

According to interviews with Pratt in 2013, he and his wife believed predictions tied to the Mayan calendar that suggested the world would end on 21 December 2012. As a result, the couple reportedly spent at least $10 million (roughly £7.5 million) instead of saving or investing it.

Pratt said they thought there was little reason to hold onto money if a catastrophic event was imminent. Reports at the time claimed their spending included lavish gifts for friends, luxury purchases, oversized tips for workers, and expensive personal items. Among the purchases mentioned in coverage were designer handbags and even an armoured truck.

'We made and spent at least 10 million dollars. The thing is, we heard that the planet was going to end in 2012. We thought, we have got to spend this money before the asteroid hits. Here's some advice, definitely do not spend your money thinking asteroids are coming. But the world didn't end. I would give my friends $15,000 for their birthday. Just cash. I would buy people cars. Every valet I met got a couple of hundred pounds tip. I would pay people $200 just to open doors for us,' Pratt said during an interview with OK! Magazine, per a Breitbart report.

Media reports from that period also described the couple's extravagant lifestyle as spiralling out of control during the height of their fame. Several entertainment outlets noted that Pratt and Montag had previously spoken publicly about financial troubles after their reality television success faded.

Public Fascination Returns Amid Political Campaign

Interest in the story has surged again as Pratt positions himself as a political outsider in the Los Angeles mayoral election. Recent coverage has described how viral AI-generated videos and social media clips have helped elevate his profile among online audiences.

L.A.-based Republican political consultant Matt Klink, however, said Pratt is embracing AI as a tool to amplify and refine real-world messaging rather than distort it. 'His whole shtick is that Los Angeles is broken, the insiders have failed, and the political class wants to explain away what voters are seeing with their own eyes,' Klink told the Los Angeles Times.

The resurfaced apocalypse-spending story has sparked strong reactions online, particularly on Reddit, where users questioned the decision-making behind the reported purchases and debated whether the incident reflects poorly on his political ambitions.

Some commenters mocked the idea of preparing for an apocalypse through luxury spending rather than survival planning, while others viewed the story as another example of reality television excess.

From Reality TV Villain to Political Candidate

Pratt became known through the MTV series The Hills, where his relationship with Heidi Montag became one of the central storylines. His image as a confrontational reality TV personality helped make the couple tabloid fixtures throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s.

More than a decade later, Pratt is attempting to transform that notoriety into political momentum. Recent reports describe Pratt campaigning heavily online while criticising city leadership over issues including homelessness, crime, and the aftermath of the Pacific Palisades fire that reportedly destroyed his home earlier this year.