Resurfaced clip shows a teen contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune' — today he's famous and worth $120 million

“Wheel of Fortune” has been around for more than four decades, which means that generations have grown up watching the show popular across America. It is known to change fortunes as people go home with winnings worth thousands of dollars, including cars and trips. But it's hard to imagine that someone who came on the show might one day end up with a $120 million net worth. But that did happen, as the CEO of the McLaren Formula 1 team, Zak Brown, once appeared on "Wheel of Fortune" as a teenager, when Pat Sajak was still a young host, according to a report in MSN.

In a nostalgic clip from the '80s, a 13-year-old Brown could be seen telling Sajak that he wanted to be a baseball player. When asked if he played for a team, Brown had to think a bit before saying, “Team…White Socks.” To that, Sajak replied, “Yeah, you wanna be in the right dugout during a game,” drawing laughter from the audience. It was Teen Week on the show at the time, and Brown had done well for himself. He solved a puzzle, at the end of which he won more than $3,000. That was a lot of money at the time, especially for a teenager. The answer to the puzzle was Wild Bill Hickok, and the future McLaren boss was the one who unveiled the last two gaps in the puzzle.

Fans of the show and the sport loved the moment and made their thoughts clear in the comments section on YouTube. “He's just collecting sponsors for today as a kid. such a great businessman,” one user commented. “That's where he got the money to enter the world of F1,” another speculated. He did not end up becoming a baseball player, but found success in a completely different arena.

For those not familiar with the sport of F1, McLaren is one of the legendary teams on par with Ferrari. They’ve won nine championships in total, the latest of which came in 2024 under Brown’s leadership. He joined the team in 2018 during one of the worst phases in the outfit’s history. They had not won the championship since 1998, and the American team principal took them to glory once again. The 2025 season officially starts on Friday, March 14, and McLaren is the favorite to win it again.

Brown’s legacy as a “Wheel of Fortune” contestant is not as great as his legacy as a team principal, but it also goes to show that winning a car and a trip on the show can set the tone for bigger achievements. He is among several celebrities who appeared on game shows before going on to earn fame.