A software engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah...

Ken Jennings

Hey there Utah, this is Ken Jennings from Salt Lake City, and I hope the whole Beehive State will be buzzing about my appearance on Jeopardy!

2020 Jeopardy!: The Greatest of All Time winner: $1,000,000 + a trophy + the title "The Greatest of All Time".
2019 All-Star Games captain of 1st runner-up Team Ken: a share of $300,000 split three ways with Matt Jackson and Monica Thieu.
2014 Battle of the Decades 1st runner-up: $100,000.
2011 IBM Challenge 1st runner-up: $150,000 + $150,000 to VillageReach.
2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions 1st runner-up: $500,000. Ken had a bye into Round 5 (the finals) of the UToC.
Season 20/21 74-time champion: $2,520,700 + $2,000.

After playfully tying Brian Weikle's single-day cash winnings record of $52,000 (set in his 3rd game, #4296, aired 2003-04-14) three times (on 2004-07-09, 2004-07-12, and 2004-07-22), Ken shattered it with a $75,000 finish in his 38th game, the last game of Season 20 (#4595, aired 2004-07-23). (Shortly before the end of his streak, on show #4653, aired 2004-11-24, Ken topped Brian's record once more with a $55,099 win.) Ken's record lasted over six years, until Roger Craig broke it with a $77,000 finish in his second game (#5977, aired 2010-09-14).

Ken appeared on ABC's 500 Questions on 2016-05-26, as the first player of the show's second season. He was not required to challenge and eliminate Season 1's concluding player, Season 18 2-time champion Richard Mason, but instead began the season instead of the show's defending player. As a result, Richard was not invited to continue his run. Ken was eliminated on question 4 by 2012 College Championship winner Monica Thieu and did not win any money.

Ken appeared by webcam as the "Ask the Expert" lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on 2008-11-03 through 2008-11-07 and again on 2008-11-21; later Ken appeared as the expert on 2009-08-19 during the show's brief return to prime time (both under the 15-question clock format). He would appear again as a contestant on November 14 & 17, 2014 as part of Guinness Week, and won $100,000 (under the show's new 14-question shuffle format).

Ken won $500,000 on Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on 2008-10-10, opting not to try the $1 million question in the category SOCIAL STUDIES at the risk of losing all but $25,000 of his winnings; had he actually played the question, he would've been right. With his $500,000 win, he once again became the all-time highest game show money winner, surpassing Brad Rutter. Ken's wife Mindy and son Dylan were in audience attendance for the show and appeared on-camera repeatedly.

Ken won $100,000 in GSN's Grand Slam 2007 tournament, having defeated World Series of Pop Culture 2007 winner Victor Lee on 2007-08-04, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Super Greed, and Wheel of Fortune winner Phyllis Harris on 2007-08-25, The Weakest Link winner Michelle Kitt on 2007-09-01, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire winner Ogi Ogas on 2007-09-08. Ogi had defeated Brad Rutter in the tournament on 2007-08-18.

Ken won $714.29 (a 1/49 share of a $35,000 pot) on the Mob on 1 vs. 100 on 2006-10-20. He entered the Mob in the premiere episode (2006-10-13) in seat #13 and lasted the longest of the 100 initial Mob members. He later returned to compete on the show's "Last Man Standing" special that aired on 2007-02-09.

Ken appeared as an expert on Best Ever Trivia Show on various episodes throughout the summer 2019 season.

Ken appeared as an master mind on GSN's Master Minds in various episodes in 2020-2021.

Ken won $72,800 for Equal Justice Initiative on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on 2023-05-10.

Ken and Matt Damon won $1,000,000 for Water.org on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on 2025-07-23 & 2025-07-30.

Author of Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs (2006) and Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8888 Questions in 365 Days (2008).

Web site at ken-jennings.com.
List of favorite movies, 1921-2003, at jenningsbaby.8m.com

Jeopardy! Message Board user name: KenJennings
Father's Jeopardy! Message Board user name: KJR Seattle
Wife's Jeopardy! Message Board user name: minders

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