Scripps National Spelling Bee winner says he’ll donate prize money

Bruhat Soma spelled 29 words in the tiebreaker, beating Faizan Zaki by 9
He receives a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes
Soma says he'll donate the prize money to uplift those less privileged

Updated: May 31, 2024 / 12:06 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — Bruhat Soma, a seventh grader from St. Petersburg, Florida, took the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee crown in just the second “spell-off” in the competition’s history.

The 12-year-old blitzed through 30 words in 90 seconds Thursday night, and judges determined that he spelled 29 of them correctly — nine more than his competitor, Faizan Zaki.

As the champion, Soma receives a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

“I’m probably going to donate it because there’s a lot of people that have less privileges than me, and I want them to feel better too,” Soma told “Morning in America.”

Soma rehearsed the spell-off every day for six months. He told “Morning in America” he’s looking forward to a summer of rest and basketball practice after the win.

“I’m just gonna relax, I guess, because it’s the summer and practice and basketball,” he said. “I’m gonna just practice a bit more in general.”

Soma said he aspires to be a doctor when he’s older.