Ken Jennings

Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) is an American game show host, former contestant, and author. He is best known for his success and streak on the syndicated quiz show ''Jeopardy!'' as a contestant and later its host. Jennings was born in Edmonds, Washington, but grew up in South Korea and Singapore. He worked as a computer programmer before he tried out for ''Jeopardy!'' in 2004. During his initial run, Jennings secured a consecutive 74 wins, setting the record as the highest-earning American game show contestant (a title he held for more than twenty years) and bringing significant media attention and viewership.

Afterwards, Jennings pursued a career as an author, writing about his experience and exploring American trivia history and culture in a series of best-selling books. He also appeared on other game shows, including ''The Chase'' (where he sported the nickname "The Professor"), and hosted the ''Omnibus'' podcast. He returned to ''Jeopardy!'' in 2020 as a producer, and later guest-hosted the program after the death of host Alex Trebek the same year. He split full-time hosting duties initially with actress Mayim Bialik until 2023, when he was made the sole host.

Jennings holds numerous game show records: he is the second highest-earning American game show contestant, having won money on five different programs, including a cumulative total of $4,522,700 on ''Jeopardy!'' His original appearance on the program marks the longest winning streak, netting him $2,522,700 over the course of his initial 75-day run. He also holds the record for the highest average correct responses per game. Additionally, Jennings was awarded the first-place prize in ''Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time'' (2020). On July 30, 2025, he and Matt Damon became the second duo and the third celebrities overall to win the $1,000,000 top prize for their charity, Water.org, and the sixteenth overall million dollar winners on ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire''. He also previously won $100,000 on November 17, 2014. Provided by Wikipedia