Pat Sajak made a ton of money as 'Wheel of Fortune' host — and oh, he worked only 4 days a month
Generations have grown up watching the "Wheel of Fortune" on TV and Pat Sajak was its face for four decades before being replaced recently. As the original host of the gameshow, often blamed for the loss of contestants as well. Sajak himself has amassed a fortune thanks to his fame. Back in 2016, Forbes reported that Pat was earning $15 million per season for "Wheel of Fortune," which is a lot of money especially if you consider the number of days he working in a month.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pat Sajak works only four days per month. That's just 48 days per year, making his salary $312,500 per workday, and $52,083 per episode. Also, it's important to consider that there's a good chance the number went up significantly from $15 million in 2016. According to reports, Sajak and Vanna White reportedly signed new contracts back in 2021. When the show is in production, Pat and Vanna reportedly film six episodes per day. They arrive at 8:30 a.m. while the shoot begins at noon.
Pat ventured into showbiz after he attended Columbia College in Chicago in the 1960s, where he was hired as a news anchor on the local radio station, WEDC. He later joined the army and served during the Vietnam War as a radio jockey on Armed Forces Radio. He returned from Vietnam but continued working for stations in Kentucky and Nashville (WSM). It was only in 1981 that the creator of "Wheel of Fortune," Merv Griffin asked Sajak if he would like to take over the show's hosting duties from Chuck Woolery, who was the original host. While Fred Silverman, then the CEO of NBC, rejected the idea, Griffin believed in Pat Sajak and threatened to cease all new tapings until Sajak was hired. Susan Stafford was the co-host until 1982 when Vanna White took over.
Apart from earning through Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak makes more money by licensing his image to casino slot machines than he does from the game show itself. The show was the first ever entertainment property to be licensed for use on slot machines. Sajak has also appeared in many films which have contributed to his net worth.
He was first seen in the 1982 comedy film "Airline II: The Sequel." He has also appeared several times on "Super Password" as a guest host, as well as "Password Plus," from 1984 to 1989. Sajak is also on the board of trustees and serves as a vice chairman at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan. Pat Sajak also has an impressive real estate portfolio. Back in 1988, he paid $1.895 million for a home in the LA suburb of Encino, and the 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom house is nearly worth $7 million to $10 million today. Later in 1991 he again bought a 3-acre waterfront property in Severna Park, Maryland. As of 2024, his net worth has swelled to somewhere around $75 million.
