The game show has always been a staple of television, both in the early days and the modern era of streaming. The first was conceived as a radio show named “Spelling Bee” and soon moved to TV. Blending skill, entertainment, and a healthy dose of public interaction, there have also been some huge jackpots scooped in the genre’s history. Below, we give the biggest three gameshow winners in history.
Brad Rutter
The game show that has given the highest payouts to contestants to date is Jeopardy, though this was on separate series. First appearing on the show in 2000, a contestant named Brad Rutter managed to scoop $55,102 plus two brand-new cars. This led to an invitation to two further masters tournaments, where he bagged $ 100,000 and $1,000,000 in the next.
You may assume this was the end of Rutter and his winning streak but it continued with a $2,100,000 win on the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. A battle of the decades match scooped him another cool million dollars. He used all these funds to pursue a career in acting and production, moving himself to Los Angeles. Even now, there are rumors of him making a return to Jeopardy.
Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings was the contestant who often battled Brad Rutter for his title of most wins on Jeopardy. A software engineer from Salt Lake City, he won 74 games in a row. This allowed him to pocket $2.52 million in winnings. Just like Rutter, he was invited back to a selection of special competitions which increased his total. By January 2020 he had won a total of $4.37 million, a vast sum but still short of Rutter’s combined earnings.
Both players did not just feature on Jeopardy but often increased winnings with appearances on other game shows and mediums. This often showcased how many platforms people can now win money on, as opposed to going the old route of applying to be on television. Online casinos in particular have begun to blur the boundaries of gameshows and online entertainment, even having gameshow-like bonus rounds in their live casino games. Totals can also be extremely high, particularly in games produced on systems such as Jackpot King slots. These have progressive totals, where a small amount from each game goes into a pot. When one person wins the jackpot, they can scoop large amounts.
James Holzhauer
James Holzhauer was a real-life Vegas gambler who took his prior experience to the game show. Once again, Jeopardy was the chosen show that he attacked with aggressive betting strategies on the Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy rounds. He bagged 32 games in a row and netted $2,712,216. He also owns the top 16 spots for the highest winnings on single shows, one of which was $131,127.
Other game shows have allowed people to win massive amounts, particularly favorites like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire“. However, Jeopardy has been the most generous. One day, you may find yourself on the show and could even top these amounts with skill and a little luck.
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