He was a teen with big dreams when he appeared on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ – now he has a net worth of $120M
Who would have imagined that a teenager who played ‘Wheel of Fortune’ would be a famous millionaire decades later! The person in question is Zak Brown, the CEO of the McLaren Formula 1 team, who appeared on the show as a teenager in the 80s. The 13-year-old Brown had a fun-filled conversation with host Pat Sajak, who was pretty young at the time. When the latter asked for his favorite subjects in school, Brown said it was math, history, and science. He could be seen telling Sajak that his dream is to be a baseball player. The teen admitted he plays in a league and revealed his team's name after putting in some thought. “Team…White Socks,” he said.
“Yeah, you wanna be in the right dugout during a game,” Sajak replied, prompting a roar of laughter from the audience. After the funny banter, it was time for Brown to solve the puzzle that read: “Wild Bill Hic_ o _.” The young player requested to add the letter ‘k’ and completed the puzzle that read: “Wild Bill Hickok” and won more than $3,000 in that round. Fans flocked to the comment section of the nostalgic video to poke fun at the irony. “He's just collecting sponsors for today as a kid. Such a great businessman,” one internet user quipped.
“That's where he got the money to enter the world of F1,” another YouTube user joked. “How to get enough money to get into racing: 1) Rich parents 2) ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ a third fan wrote. Many fans pointed out the familiarity between younger and older Brown, and the most common answer was his way of speaking. “You can tell it's Zak - same speaking patterns,” one social media user commented. “Bro, his accent is so American lol. It’s amazing how he still has it,” another fan pointed out the same. “He still has similar mannerisms, which is quite interesting,” a third internet user added. “This is awesome. Would love to see Zak on ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ & this be brought up,” another fan commented.
‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been rewarding contestants with cash prizes and local and even international trips. The show has also made a few of them millionaires. However, Brown’s story is something unique and certainly a treasured moment in the history of ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ The show has been running for over 4 decades and is still one of the most beloved television shows, especially for long-time fans. Sajak left an impression so strong that people continue to feel his absence since he retired from the show in 2024.
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Famous daytime television host Ryan Seacrest, best known for hosting ‘American Idol,’ joined the show as Sajak’s replacement. The latter’s co-host, Vanna White, continues to grace the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ stage. As for Seacrest, he has been receiving mixed responses from long-term fans of the show as they miss Sajak’s presence and witty sense of humor. On the contrary, many appreciated him for bringing his unique touch to the show.