This Guy Won the Best Job Ever: $100K to Travel the World for a Year

Courtesy Jauntaroo

Tyson Mayr

Jauntaroo's much-hyped "Best Job Around the World" contest—an all-expenses paid, salaried romp around the globe—finally has a winner! Tyson Mayr, a 27-year-old Aussie, beat out a pool of 3,000 contestants from 99 countries for the position (so coveted that one of the company's founders Tom Wilson had his home phone unlisted, after aspirants began calling him there).

Mayr was declared the winner after a weekend in Abu Dhabi with four finalists, staying at the super-posh Emirates Palace. Mayr will take off in March for his year-long journey, where he'll make videos and do volunteer work at each location. His itinerary hasn't been finalized, but already includes stops in Berlin, the Maldives, and St. Lucia, among others. (You can follow his global adventures on his Twitter page).

Unsurprisingly, Mayr's no travel novice—he's been to 54 countries and has effectively been on the road for the past four years, ever since taking what he initially thought would be a three-month leave of absence from his job back in Australia. He's relied on couch surfing and local bus rides to keep costs down. He's also well along in the voluntourism side of things; recently in Uganda where he donated water filters in a water purification drive. See his winning entry video below: