"He was a software engineer living in Salt Lake City, Utah, when he won a record-breaking 74 games in seasons 20 and 21. Now he's a writer living in Seattle, Washington. Please welcome..."
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 a master mind on GSN's Master Minds in various episodes in 2020-2021.
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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