'Jeopardy!' James Holzhauer: 10 Stunning Facts About Fan Favorite (2024)

This Tuesday, August 6, is no trivial day for Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer: It’s the day this self-described game show “Final Boss” turns 40 years old. And if Holzhauer’s first four decades are any indication of what’s to come, we’d wager good money on big success in the next four. In honor of this momentous birthday for “Jeopardy! James,” here are some amazing facts you may not know about the show fan-favorite.

James Holzhauer skipped second grade.

In junior kindergarten, 4-year-old Holzhauer was so adept at math that his teacher developed a special curriculum for him, as the Chicago Tribune reported in 1989. The budding brainiac also joined a fifth-grade math class at age 7 and skipped second grade, as he told The New York Timesin 2019.

He won first in physics at a Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering state competition.

Not only was Holzhauer a member of the team that won a Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering state competition during his high school years in Naperville, Illinois, but he also placed first in physics and second in mathematics at the event.

Holzhauer set two earnings records on The Chase.

In 2014, around the time he turned 30, Holzhauer competed on the Game Show Network run of The Chase, a game show whose ABC reboot he’d later join as a chaser. During that first appearance, he set a record for the show by earning $60,000 through 12 correct responses in the Cash Builder round and set another record by offering 19 correct responses during the Final Chase round, according to TMZ.

He won 32 regular Jeopardy! games in a row.

Holzhauer’s 32-game winning streak ranks him fourth in consecutive wins on the game show, behind Ken Jennings (74), Amy Schneider (40), and Matt Amodio (38). As ESPN watched on during one taping, then-host Alex Trebek stood next to Holzhauer as producers brought on the next episode’s contestants. “Look at them,” Trebek remarked. “They’re going, ‘Oh, s**t, we have to face James next.’”

He set the top 10 single-game scores on the show.

The Jeopardy! website’s leaderboard for top 10 single-game scores shows Holzhauer’s headshot all the way down, topped by his winnings of $131,127 on April 17, 2019, when he didn’t miss a single response out of 40 responses offered. Holzhauer has also claimed the records for the largest Daily Double wager ($25,000) and the largest Final Jeopardy! wager ($60,013), according to Primetimer.

Holzhauer reportedly earned more per Jeopardy! episode than Alex Trebek did.

At the time of Holzhauer’s winning streak, Trebek was reportedly earning $10 million per year for hosting Jeopardy!, or $34,000 per episode, according to The Guardian. Holzhauer’s average daily winnings stands at $76,944, his Jeopardy! profile reports, which is more than twice Trebek’s reported per-episode pay.

He has the second-highest tally of regular-play Jeopardy! winnings.

Holzhauer ranks second in total winnings for regular-season play at $2,462,216, within spitting distance of Jennings’ $2,520,700 but far ahead Amodio, in third place with $1,518,601.

He won the 2019 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions and Jeopardy! Masters Season 1.

Holzhauer returned to the Jeopardy! stage for 2019’s Tournament of Champions, where he added $250,000 to his winnings by beating Emma Boettcher and Francois Barcomb in the finals.

And in the first season of Jeopardy! Masters, Holzhauer triumphed over Amodio and fellow champ Mattea Roach in the finals to win the $500,000 prize. (He came in third in the Season 2 finals, trailing victor Victoria Groce andrunner-up Yogesh Raut.)

He’s the third highest-earning American game show contestant of all time.

According to a fan tally on Wikipedia, Holzhauer’s $3,672,549.33 game show haul ranks him third in lifetime winnings among American game show contestants, behind Jennings ($5,296,214.29) and fellow Jeopardy! legend Brad Rutter ($5,138,436).

Holzhauer’s tally includes his $2,714,216 total from Jeopardy! regular play and Tournament of Champions, his $650,000 total from two seasons of Jeopardy! Masters, his $250,000 winnings for finishing in second in the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament, and his $58,333.33 prize from The Chase.

He started a family with Millionaire alum Melissa Sassin, with whom he shares the inaugural Alex Trebek Person of the Year Award.

In what he probably views as his greatest achievement, Holzhauer is a husband and father. He married teacher and tutor Melissa Sassin in 2012, and they have welcomed a daughter together. Melissa is a game show veteran herself, having won $28,200 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2014, according to Newsweek.

At the first-ever Jeopardy! Honors awards show in 2022, Trebek’s widow Jean presented the Holzhauers with the inaugural Alex Trebek Person of the Year Award, recognizing players for their contributions off the Jeopardy! stage. Jean praised the Holzhauers’ philanthropic efforts, especially their work with Project 150, an organization supporting homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students in Las Vegas.

'Jeopardy!' James Holzhauer: 10 Stunning Facts About Fan Favorite (2024)

FAQs

What does James Holzhauer call himself? ›

Host Ken Jennings explained that Holzhauer was the final contestant announced – and said that he called himself the “final boss.”

How much money did James Holzhauer make on Jeopardy? ›

The sports gambler from Las Vegas became a familiar face on Jeopardy! in 2019, racking up a 32-game winning streak and raking in $2,462,216 during regular-season play, second only to Jennings. Holzhauer sits at the No. 1 spot for single-game winnings at $131,127, though — in a top 10 list only his name is on.

Who did the best on Jeopardy? ›

Ken Jennings, a software engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah, became a legendary figure in the world of Jeopardy with his record-breaking 74-game winning streak in 2004, accumulating an astonishing total of $2,520,700 in regular-season play.

What is James Holzhauer's nationality? ›

James Holzhauer (born August 6, 1984) is an American game show contestant and professional sports gambler. He is the third-highest-earning American game show contestant of all time.

Who was the arrogant contestant on Jeopardy? ›

Contestant Aaron Craig, who competed on the show's Champions Wildcard tournament, drew the ire of some die-hard fans after he clapped for himself when host Ken Jennings announced that Craig was the winner of the night's game. “I turned the TV off after the self-congratulatory behavior,” one viewer said on Reddit.

What does James Holzhauer do for a living now? ›

James has been a professional sports gambler since 2005 and currently stars on the ABC game show The Chase.

How many times has someone won Jeopardy with $1? ›

champs have won by a dollar, but only one other time in our history did a contestant actually win with a single buck. In 1993, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Darryl Scott found himself at the finish of the Double Jeopardy! round one dollar ahead of returning champ Nancy Melucci.

Who was the highest paid contestant on Jeopardy? ›

Brad Rutter
BornBradford Gates Rutter January 31, 1978 Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationsTV host producer actor game show contestant
Known forBeing the highest-earning Jeopardy! contestant and 2nd-highest-earning American game show contestant

Do you keep the money you win on Jeopardy? ›

Winnings. The top scorer in each game is paid their winnings in cash and returns to play in the next match. Non-winners receive consolation prizes instead of their winnings in the game.

Who is the smartest Jeopardy contestant? ›

Ken Jennings

Known for: Considered the show's most memorable contestant in the game show's history, Jennings' impact has spanned decades and he most recently solidified his unofficial title by winning the “Greatest of All Time” tournament.

Is Amy Schneider better than Ken Jennings? ›

Amy Schneider made more than just Jeopardy history after winning 40 consecutive games (second only to Ken Jennings), she also made television history as the first transgender woman to do so.

What does Ken Jenning get paid? ›

Jennings was awarded $2,000 for his second-place finish, which gave him a final total of $2,522,700 for his Jeopardy! run.

Is James Holzhauer rich? ›

James Holzhauer is a professional sports gambler and a famous game show contestant who has a net worth of $3 million.

Who is James Holzhauer's mother? ›

Who will be in Jeopardy Masters 2024? ›

Victoria “The Queen” Groce has officially been crowned the winner of Jeopardy! Masters 2024. Victoria claimed victory over James Holzhauer and Yogesh Raut in Wednesday's two-game final with a total of 55,400 points.

Why does James Squint on Jeopardy? ›

James Holzhauer: Squinting Improves Your Brainpower by 100% | JEOPARDY!

How much is Holzhauer worth? ›

James Holzhauer
BornJuly 1, 1984
HometownNaperville, Illinois, United States
Net worth$3 million

What is Trebek's first name? ›

George Alexander Trebek OC (/trəˈbɛk/; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian-American game show host and television personality.

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