Kaycee SloanCincinnati Enquirer
Oct. 21, 2026, 12:26 p.m. ET
From being an engineer to working at McDonald’s, hotels, restaurants and creating content full-time, Drew Lee, one of The Enquirer’s 2026 Top Content Creators, is no stranger to taking on a new job.
But his newest role is one that’s just now coming to light: Starring in a Netflix reality series.
Lee, known to his 237,300 TikTok and 88,700 Instagram followers as @DollarsWithDrew, was one of the 30 participants selected to star in Netflix’s “The New Stanford Prison Experiment,” a reimagined take on the infamous 1971 psychological study. The series debuted Oct. 21.
The creator, who uses his passion for saving and investing to spread the word about financial independence, first revealed he was on the Netflix show as “Prisoner 275” in a Sept. 30 social media post. For the role, Lee said he went off the grid for three weeks, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Lee, who has an $890,000 net worth, was described as a content creator and investor on the show, although Lee clarified on his Instagram that he’s “technically an investor into basic/low cost funds” like his Roth IRA and 401K.
What is the Stanford Prison Experiment?
The Stanford Prison Experiment was a 1971 psychological study organized by American psychologist Philip Zimbardo. The experiment involved a mock prison set up in the basement of a Stanford University building, where 24 male college students were randomly selected as guards and prisoners.
The experiment was supposed to study the psychological effects of prison life. It was meant to last one to two weeks, but spiraled out of control in just six days.
According to CNN, within 36 hours, one of the prisoners had an apparent mental breakdown. On the second day, inmates staged a rebellion. However, “guards” repressed it by spraying the “prisoners” with fire extinguishers, stripping them naked and locking them up in a dark closet dubbed “the hole.”
The experiment has been widely criticized over the years, but it still raises the question that’s more relevant than ever: Can power change ordinary people?
The new Netflix series reimagined the study with updated safeguards and expert oversight that the original lacked.
The new Netflix series reimagined the study by placing 30 diverse, mixed-gender volunteers inside a real correctional facility instead of an academic basement.
When does ‘The New Stanford Prison Experiment’ drop on Netflix? How to watch
“The New Stanford Prison Experiment” released on Netflix Thursday, Oct. 21, with all six episodes available.
Watch the trailer for Netflix’s ‘The New Stanford Prison Experiment’
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