The Hustler's Digest StaffJeopardy! An American TV show, which proved to make several contestants, who present their general knowledge, rich. Read this article to find out who won the most money through this game and how?
Jeopardy! An American TV show, which proved to make several contestants, who present their general knowledge, rich. Read this article to find out who won the most money through this game and how?
Have you ever fantasized about winning Jeopardy! and walking across the stage to shake the late Alex Trebek’s hand while the crowd erupted in cheers? For thousands of trivia lovers and game show hopefuls, winning is a lifelong goal, but winning also comes with more benefits than just bragging rights. It may also offer a huge payoff.
Legendary champions are propelled to fame, money, and a life free from day jobs thanks to the millions of dollars in prizes awarded annually by America’s favorite quiz show: Jeopardy! prize money has allowed champions to do everything from pay off student loans to travel the world, even for more modest winners who don’t rake in millions.
In Jeopardy!, the word “best” has many nuances, so for the sake of argument, we’re defining it as the most earnings throughout regular season play. For a detailed description of Jeopardy! pantheon—and if it encourages you to jump in yourself, begin preparing for the illustrious exam.
Many legends have been awarded an enormous amount of cash prizes due to their talents in one way or another. Some of which are listed below:
● Brad Rutter
Brad Rutter has been gambling since 2000 and has earned a total of $4,938,436
in prizes, including tournaments. He played 5-game streaks at the time, Jeopardy! retired players who had won five straight games. Rutter has been the player who won the most money in Jeopardy!
Rutter is best known for being the champion who won the most money during his Jeopardy! run. Since his famous victories in 2000, Rutter has participated in several competitions and has consistently challenged Jennings. He also took part in the “Greatest of All Time” competition.
● Ken Jennings
There is no need to introduce Ken Jennings. Jennings, who was working as a software engineer in Salt Lake City at the time, shattered the Jeopardy! record book in 2004 with an exceptional 74-game winning streak that earned him a staggering $2,520,700. Jeopardy!’s ratings rose by 22% as a result of Jennings’ streak, making it the top-rated syndicated television program.
Jennings still retains the marks for both the highest average of right answers and the longest winning streak. He has earned the title of second highest-earning contestant in American game show history thanks to his Jeopardy! winnings,$4,370,700, including tournament payouts. “The three T’s: taxes, tithing, and widescreen TV” are how Jennings describes how he spent his money (Jennings, a Mormon, practices tithing 10 percent of his yearly income to the Church of Latter-Day Saints). Jennings, a longtime friend of the show who returned to compete against IBM’s supercomputer Watson and who continues to serve as an occasional host, hasn’t moved on from Jeopardy!
Jennings is regarded as the most iconic contestant in the game show’s history. His influence has spanned decades, and he most recently cemented his unofficial title by triumphing in the “Greatest of All Time” tournament. Jennings rose to the top of Jeopardy! contestant hierarchy while competing against Watson, the computer system.
● James Holzhauer
James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor, turned his unique skills into a winning strategy on Jeopardy! His knowledge and daring approach led him through a victorious 32-game streak in 2019, accumulating $2,462,216. Holzhauer broke records with his bold strategy of risking almost all his winnings in Final Jeopardy! to double his score. This move paid off spectacularly when he set a new record by earning $131,127 in a single episode—the first player ever to break the $100,000 mark in one game.
Continuing to impact the sports betting world, Holzhauer contributes his expertise to The Atlantic, discussing sports trends and betting strategies. His fearless gambling spirit during the game show not only amassed him a total of $2,962,216 but also secured his spot in the “Greatest of All Time” tournament alongside legends like Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings. This high-stakes strategy kept fans eagerly watching, making Holzhauer a lasting icon in Jeopardy! history.
● Matt Amodio
With a 38-game winning streak in 2021 that earned him $1,518,601 in prizes and the prestigious distinction of being the third-highest winning champion of all time, Matt Amodio gained worldwide notoriety. Amodio, a Yale Ph.D. student in computer science, had the singular distinction of playing his way through a contentious episode of Jeopardy! history, enduring the Mike Richards controversy in real-time. Only Ken Jennings and Amy Schneider have won more games than Amodio’s 38 straight victories.
This contestant outlasted James Holzhauer as the second-longest regular winning streak in the show’s history while also setting records and earning money. He has success with his approach to deciphering expensive clues.
● Amy Schneider
Amy Schneider, an engineering manager from California, has become a Jeopardy! sensation, breaking all previous records with her impressive 40-game winning streak. Accumulating $1,382,800 in prize money since she started playing in 2022, Schneider is the first woman and only the fourth contestant ever to earn over a million dollars in non-tournament play on Jeopardy! She now stands as the top female contestant in the history of the show and holds the second-longest streak, surpassing both Amodio and Holzhauer.
In an interview with CNN, Schneider expressed her amazement and honor, stating, “I don’t know how to digest it, knowing that I’m one of the most successful individuals at a game I’ve loved since I was a kid and that I’m a part of its history today.” Known for her quick buzzer skills, “Jeopardy! Amy” has firmly established herself as a formidable player, second only to Ken Jennings in terms of consecutive victories.
● David Madden
David Madden was born to play trivia. Madden founded the National History Bee and Bowl, two national history competitions for students to compete in as individuals and teams, following his 2005 hot streak as the sixth-highest paid contestant of all time with $763,733.
In addition to other trivia contests, Madden established the US Geography Olympiad, the International Geography Olympiad, the US Academic Bee and Bowl, the National Science Bee, and the National Humanities Bee. When Madden established Demoquiz in 2020, a platform that allowed Democratic politicians to raise money through online trivia nights, he applied his talent in trivia to politics.
● Larissa Kelly
With her $660,930 in total winnings, including tournament prizes, Kelly broke Julia Collins’ record for the most money won by a female contestant on Jeopardy! outside of tournament play. Kelly’s final episode of Jeopardy!, which aired on May 28, 2008, featured her winning a total of $222,597 over six games and a $1,000 third-place consolation prize. Kelly ranks seventh all-time in Jeopardy! earnings and is the fourth-highest winning female contestant (excluding tournament winnings).
During her reign as champion, Kelly broke Ken Jennings’s record for the most money won in a contestant’s first five days by winning $179,797. Roger Craig also broke Jennings’s single-game record of $75,000 during his reign as champion by winning $195,801 in his first five games. Kelly also holds the record for the third-highest female winner in a single Jeopardy! contest in history.
● Matt Jackson
Sam Spaulding, a friend of Jackson’s who placed second in the autumn 2010 College Championship and earned $50,000, inspired Jackson to apply for the program. He attempted to enter the college tournament twice but was unsuccessful. In 2014, he tried out for the regular show and was chosen as a contestant. Jackson read the autobiographies of former winners, including Prisoner of Tajikistan by Bob Harris and Ken Jennings’s Brainiac.
Jackson attracted attention when he was first presented at the start of each performance because of his deliberate smile. He started counting the wins in his streak with his fingers after his first triumph. Jackson also developed a reputation for answering questions correctly and moving on to the next one with lightning speed. Fans and the media soon dubbed Jackson’s “Boom!” exclaimed his trademark catchphrase after he correctly answered a Daily Double in his third game, but he never used it again.
On October 14, 2015, Jackson’s 13-episode run came to an end with a defeat. He made $413,612 throughout 14 episodes. His 13-game winning streak at the time was the fourth-longest in Jeopardy! Additionally, he had the fourth-highest overall regular-play earnings. Matt won $611,612 in total, including all of the tournaments.
● Mattea Roach
Since 2022, she has participated in a streak of 23 games, earning a total of $560,983 in winnings. She is well known for This young contestant dazzled the audience with her intelligence as she quickly moved up the ranks of the game show. When Roach’s winning streak ended, she was ranked fifth overall for both the most consecutive victories and regular-season victories.
● Arthur Chu
Arthur Chu, an insurance compliance analyst from Cleveland, Ohio, made $297,200 during an 11-game streak in 2014 that ignited a pop culture craze. Chu scandalized Jeopardy! The nation with his aggressive, game theory-driven style of play, in which he hopscotched around the board in search of Daily Doubles rather than playing through each category in a linear fashion. He was called “smug,” “evil,” and “an emotionless villain” by the website. Chu took on the name Jeopardy!, “I’m just up there being a machine and playing the game,” the villain declares with this detached demeanor, mowing through the questions like a madman. Following Jeopardy!, Chu became well-known for his writing after vehemently criticizing the Gamergate movement and speaking out against nerd culture.
● Jason Zuffranieri
Jason Zuffranieri, a math teacher in Albuquerque, won $532,496 in total across 19 games in 2019, putting him in Jeopardy! The fourth-highest-earning competitor overall is a pantheon. Together with David Madden, he holds the record for the fourth-longest winning streak (more on him below). Zuffranieri had to try out for Jeopardy! nine times before being accepted, so the historic streak took a while to happen. For 25 years, Zuffranieri said, “I had the mindset that I wasn’t cut out to be on the show for any reason: not smart enough, not camera-friendly, not fascinating, whatever.” She also mentioned that the chance, where she eventually got to take the stage was a dream come true, and the level of luck she received is genuinely beyond anything she ever thought could happen.
● Austin Rogers
Playing off of Alex Trebek and Austin Rogers’ caustic banter since 2017, as well as the 13-game streak that netted him $413,000, cemented his place in Jeopardy! fans’ hearts. Throughout his winning streak, Rogers gained notoriety due to his positive outlook and eccentric style of humor, which some have dubbed “Krameresque.” After his streak came to an end, Rogers purchased a rare 1989 Honda Civic, went on a global tour, and then went back to work as a bartender in New York City. In addition to hosting trivia evenings at other pubs, Rogers continues to serve drinks at The Gaf West, where he had worked before Jeopardy!
As he occasionally traded scathing barbs with Trebek, his eccentric personality appealed to viewers. Since his winning run, which ranked him as the seventh-highest straight winner during regular season play, he has participated in tournaments.
● Emma Boettcher
Emma has been participating since 2019 and has amassed winnings of $98,002 in addition to $100,000 for the Tournament of Champions. Boettcher was best recognized for defeating James Holzhauer after his great run, although she didn’t win many games. She also broke the record for the most money won in a single day by a female participant. Boettcher has taken part in competitions in addition to her normal run.
● Julia Collins
A supply chain manager from Illinois named Julia Collins made history in 2014 by winning 20 games in a row and earning $429,100. She was the highest-ranked female contender of all time before Amy Schneider. Following her illustrious winning streak, Collins utilized some of the money to travel to Paris and London and to launch a new profession. Collins currently heads up her charity group called Females Like You and Me, which aims to “assist clever girls to discover occupations they love.” Julia has since taken part in various competitions for the game show. She is well known for her sizable winnings and impressive consecutive streak.
● Matt Jackson
Matt Jackson, a paralegal in Washington, D.C., joined Jeopardy! in 2015 and had previously won quiz bowl competitions at Yale. His 11-game winning streak earned him $411,612 in total. Those years paid off. Jackson, who is renowned for his quickness on the buzzer, enchanted viewers by counting his victories with his fingers during the on-camera introductions until he ran out of fingers. Jackson gave 10% of his winnings to several charities after his winning streak came to an end.
● Cindy Stowell
She’s been performing She has won a total of $105,803 since 2016, thanks to a 6-game winning run. When spectators realized that this deserving winner’s victory was broadcast posthumously after Stowell passed away following a fatal colon cancer diagnosis, they made the news. Despite having a brief gaming career, Stowell’s achievements and episodes continue to be remembered. Later it was revealed that Stowell received advance copies of some of her programs despite her being away before they were broadcast on television.
● Ryan Long
Since 2022, he has played 16 games in a row, earning a total of $299,400 in winnings.
He is known for his almost limitless knowledge, which allowed him to locate the answers quickly during his historic run. He performed to improve the quality of life for his small son while wearing a lovely beaded necklace.
● Buzzy Cohen
Played in 2016, he won a total of $164,603 across nine games, plus an additional $250,000 for the Tournament of Champions in 2001. Fans’ reactions to this competitor’s frequently snarky attitude toward gaming and Trebek were divided. Regardless of how he is received, there is no disputing his status as a champion, especially because he won the event in 2017.
Record
Ken Jennings shattered records on Jeopardy! by winning 74 consecutive games from June 2 to November 30, 2004, amassing a total of $2,522,700. His impressive streak elevated the show’s viewership, making it the most-watched syndicated TV show. Jennings also competed in various Jeopardy! specials, securing significant winnings, including the $1,000,000 top prize at the 2020 Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time tournament.
Brad Rutter outearned all other contestants in Jeopardy! history, collecting a total of $5,129,036 from his initial five-game winning streak and subsequent special competitions. His victories include grabbing the $2,000,000 first-place prize in the 2005 Million Dollar Masters Tournament and other substantial awards across multiple Jeopardy! tournaments.
James Holzhauer set a new standard for single-day earnings on Jeopardy! by winning $131,127 on April 17, 2019. He consistently broke records during his 32-game winning streak, ultimately amassing $2,464,216, which positions him as the third highest-earning contestant in American game show history.
Amy Schneider became the highest-earning female contestant on Jeopardy! with winnings totaling $1,382,800 over 40 episodes. Her performance ranks her second in consecutive wins, just behind Jennings.
Mattea Roach stands as the most successful Canadian contestant, having won $560,983 over 23 games in 2022, making her fifth in winnings for regular play on Jeopardy!.
Comedian Andy Richter set a Celebrity Jeopardy! record by earning $68,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in one day during the 2009–2010 Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. Additionally, four competitors share the record for the lowest winning sum in a game—just $1—with the first achieved by Lieutenant Colonel Darryl Scott on January 19, 1993.
For those inspired by these champions, consider testing your knowledge by registering for Jeopardy! on their official website and taking the entry test. Who knows? You could be the next great trivia master!
