'The Chase': How much did recurring 'Jeopardy' champion James Holzhauer win on the classic quizzing series?
'The Chase' is a unique format of quiz show, seeing new contestants compete against some of the best US quiz show champions available. One of the legends who will be featured on the show is James Holzhauer, a man who has won 32 consecutive games of America's most popular quiz show, 'Jeopardy'. 32 consecutive shows is an impressive streak by any measure, but considering the cash prizes that bring contestants onto 'Jeopardy' in the first place, just how much did Holzhauer earn from the show during his legendary run?
Over the course of his 33-episode run, James Holzhauer has won over $2 million - $ 2,464,216, for those seeking an exact figure. Holzhauer - or 'Jeopardy James', as he's more popularly known - comes far short of the longest run for 'Jeopardy' wins. That honor goes to Ken Jennings, with a 74-episode winning streak, though because of the show's increasing winnings offered, Holzhauer is only $58,484 short of Jennings' winnings. The highest earner of all is Brad Rutter, who won $4,888,436 from the show, even though most of that amount is from tournament specials. Holzhauer does, however, still hold the highest single payout in a 'Jeopardy' game, at $131,127.
Before ever becoming a contestant on the show, Holzhauer was a professional gambler - and he took his betting seriously. Knowing that 'Jeopardy' is as much a game of high-stakes betting as it is a trivia show, he took an entire year to prepare to be a contestant on the show, studying all that he could and practicing with a mechanical pencil to work on his speed-buzzing skills. Part of what made his wins so financially impressive is the fact that he was not afraid to bet big when it came down to it - the very definition of high-risk, high-reward.
James Holzhauer's streak was finally beaten by Emma Boettcher, trailing behind her by a relatively small amount of $3,000. He had his revenge, though, in a later special that brought back 'Jeopardy' champions, a tournament where he won the day for an impressive $250,000.
The new season of 'The Chase' airs on January 7 at 9 pm on ABC.
