Fans of Project Runway would agree that Tim Gunn‘s value to the show is priceless. Turns out, the design mentor was paid nothing to appear on Bravo’s hit show during its first season.

It’s one of the latest and more salacious details to emerge from the ongoing court battle between NBC/Universal and the Weinsten Company over the rights to reality hit Project Runway, which is poised to move from Bravo to Lifetime in November — albeit, not without a fight.

According to courtroom testimony, Gunn worked for free on Runway‘s first season and was paid a meager $2,500 per episode for season two. It’s unclear how that compares to the other principals on the show, such as host Heidi Klum and judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors. Also unclear is whether Michael Kors is partly compensated with free tanning vouchers.

The news leaked online the day after Gunn’s birthday (July 29). Not that he isn’t making it work: Since appearing on Project Runway, Gunn has parlayed his fame into a cushy new gig at Liz Claiborne, written a best-selling book, and stars in a reality spinoff on Bravo, Tim Gunn’s Guide To Style.