'Jeopardy' Highest Winnings And Single-Game Payout: Who Won $4.9M?

“Jeopardy!” has been on the air for more than five decades and has paid out millions of dollars to winners, some of whom have gone on to win multiple times and make a name for themselves on the trivia show. But who received the highest winnings and single-game payout in the history of the game show?

While many contestants have walked away from the show without getting a single penny, some have built fortunes with their knowledge, ranging from history to pop culture. But while some would think that the contestant who has won the most games also has the highest overall winnings, that is not the case. Here are the individuals who made the most out of “Jeopardy!” based on several categories on the game show’s website.

Consecutive Games Won

3. Julia Collins

The only woman on this list is Julia Collins, who tallied an impressive 20 consecutive games won during the show’s 2014 run. Her winning streak earned her a total of $428,100, Newsweek reported.

2. James Holzhauer

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor, comes in second in this category with a 32-game win streak on “Jeopardy!” in 2019. He later revealed that his only goal on the show was to win exactly $110,914 as it was symbolic of his daughter’s birthday, according to The List.

1. Ken Jennings

The record for the most number of consecutive “Jeopardy!” games won goes to Ken Jennings, who had a 74-game win streak in 2004. The contestant revealed he watched the show growing up in South Korea and decided to audition with a friend. He went on to have a months-long appearance and earned millions of dollars in prize money.

Highest Winnings (Regular-Season Play)

3. Matt Amodio

After winning 18 consecutive games on the show, Matt Amodio became the third highest-earning contestant on “Jeopardy!” in terms of regular-season play payouts. His earnings totaled $574,801 for his winning streak.

2. James Holzhauer

Holzhauer sits in second place for highest earnings in the regular season of the TV show with a total of $2,462,216, less than $100,000 behind the no. 1 in the category.

1. Ken Jennings

With Jennings’ achievement of most consecutive “Jeopardy!” game wins, he also got the highest earnings of the regular season, $2,520,700.

Highest Single-Game Payout

(1-3) James Holzhauer

Not only did Holzhauer rank second for most consecutive “Jeopardy!” game wins, but he also holds the top 10 spots when it comes to the highest single-game payouts.

On April 23, 2019, the contestant won his third-highest winnings of $118,816. He later topped that on May 27 that year with $130,022. But his biggest single-game payout came before both of these on April 17, 2019, when he won $131,127.

All-Time Winnings (Including Tournaments)

3. James Holzhauer

Due to his record single-game payouts, Holzhauer ranks third in the highest overall winnings on the game show with $2,962,216.

The majority of his winnings came from his regular-season appearances, with an added bonus of $250,000 for his win in the “Tournament of Champions.” He also got $250,000 for being the runner-up in the “Greatest of All Time Tournament” in 2020, according to The New York Times.

2. Ken Jennings

Despite being the contestant with the most number of consecutive game wins, Jennings is only second in overall earnings with a total payout of $4,370,700. The money he's received from “Jeopardy!” includes winnings from both regular-season games and various tournaments.

1. Brad Rutter

The top spot for highest winnings in the history of “Jeopardy!” goes to Brad Rutter, who, despite not ranking in other categories, has won a total of $4,938,436. The majority of Rutter’s winnings come from tournaments.