'The Chase': What is Ken Jennings' net worth? A look at the finances of the highest-paid game show winner
'The Chase' features some of the biggest quiz contestants in 'Jeopardy' history, such as James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter. Neither of them, however, has become as synonymous with 'Jeopardy' as Ken Jennings, the highest-earning quiz show contestant in history. He's not only the highest earner but holds the distinction of being the longest-running contestant on the show with a winning streak of 74 - beating the second-longest winning streak, James Holzhauer's 32, by a mile. Jennings has played 'Jeopardy' for so long, he's become 'Jeopardy', serving as the new host for the show's upcoming season. We take a look at his overall net worth, and his career in quiz shows in the lead-up to 'The Chase'.
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Jennings' net worth amounts to $4 million. The majority of his income comes from 'Jeopardy' – Jennings won $4,522,700 over the course of his 74-episode winning streak, which ended in a competition against Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance. He's also earned large payouts from numerous 'Jeopardy' tournaments, most notably the $1 million first-place prize on 2020's 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time,' where he became the first human to ever beat quiz show contestant Brad Rutter in a quiz show competition.
Though he's most well known for 'Jeopardy', he's also appeared on numerous other game shows, such as 'Are Your Smarter Than a 5th Grader?' – on which he earned the show's second every $1 million prize – '1 versus 100', and 'Grand Slam.' However, Jennings has not relied on his game show winnings alone for his fortune. He has been the face of several endorsement deals, such as one with Microsoft for their 'Encarta' encyclopedia software, as a spokesman for Cingular Wireless, and as the face of University Games' very own 'Can You Beat Ken?' trivia board game.
He's also written a bestselling book, entitled 'Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs'. More recently, after years spent working as a 'Jeopardy' consultant, he was tapped to become the show's new host following the death of long-time host Alex Trebek.
'The Chase' airs on January 7 at 9 pm ET, on ABC.