Ken Jennings wants to be on 'Jeopardy!' for the long haul — he made most of his fortune on the show

After a legendary run on the gameshow "Jeopardy!" as a contestant, Ken Jennings witnessed a meteoric rise in television. Appearing on several other game shows, Jennings came back home when he was chosen as the host of "Jeopardy!" However,  he has yet to bag a long-term contract with the show, and reports suggest he is committed for the long haul. 

Earlier this year, The US Sun reported that Jennings is unsure of his future at the show, and he wants his higher-ups to know that he's in it for the long haul. “Jeopardy! is Ken's religion; he lives it, and he breathes it, and despite all the outside pressures, he's not going to mess this up," sources told the publication.

When Jennings was confirmed as a co-host, he was reportedly tied to a $4 million contract. However, Jennings is ready to take a pay cut if it ensures his spot on the set.

“What he really wants more than anything is to stick around and make this position work for the long run, and if that means making less money to ensure his longevity, you can bet your life he’d be game,'  sources told The Sun. It is quite obvious that Jennings can easily survive with a pay cut. After all, he made a whopping $2.5 million from his still-record 74-game run as a contestant. 

Jennings was working as a software engineer when he applied to be a contestant on "Jeopardy!". He made it onto the show's 20th season. He won the episode, and went on the longest-ever winning streak in the history of the show, winning 75 consecutive games before he was beaten by challenger Nancy Zerg in 2004.

Jennings' streak on "Jeopardy!", achieved a 22% higher rating for the show as per the Nielsen TV National People Meter. It also ranked as TV's highest-rated syndicated program for several of Jennings' winning streak weeks.

He made a return to "Jeopardy!" as a guest for their "Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions," where he placed second, winning the $500,000 prize. He featured again on "Jeopardy!", in 2011 for their "IBM Challenge" in which he and another champion from the show battled Watson, the IBM computer. Jennings placed and won $300,000, half of which he donated to charity

He also competed in"Jeopardy! All Stars," in 2019, where his team came in second, bringing his total "Jeopardy!" winnings to $3,522,700. The next year he appeared with two other champions in the "Greatest of All Time" competition and was crowned the overall champion, winning $1 million.

Outside of Jeopardy, Jennings appeared on several shows. He appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly," "Late Show with David Letterman," "Nightline,” "Sesame Street," and on an episode of "Biography."

Jennings also appeared on other game shows including NBC's "1 vs. 100," Game Show Network’s "Grand Slam,” as well as on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader." He further appeared on "Stump the Master," "Doug Loves Movies," and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

With his 74-game winning streak record, Ken Jennings also became the highest-earning American game show contestant in history. However, his life winnings are not just from “Jeopardy!” but from several other game shows as well. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Jennings has won a total of $5,223,414 from appearing on five different game shows. 

Jennings also won about $500,000 from the show “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” and from “Grand Slam” he made about $100,000. He also appeared in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, winning another impressive $100,000.

Ken Jennings holds the title of the highest-earning American game show contestant of all time. His total winnings from shows come out to be a total of $5,296,214. Jennings briefly lost the title to Brad Rutter but he took it back in 2014 after winning on Jeopardy in 2020 again. 

Apart from his success in game shows, Jennings has channeled his success into several other ventures. Jennings authored several books and is earning hefty royalties and commissions. With all this,  Jennings has an estimated net worth of $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.