Reigning ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ James Holzhauer Has Begun Donating His Prize Money To Charity
As of Friday, May 24, the infamous reigning Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer has won 27 straight games. He has broken numerous show records and accumulated quite a hefty collection of winnings. In fact, he’s recently surpassed $2 million and his streak doesn’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. One question he’s frequently been asked by the show’s host Alex Trebek and interviewers, is what he will do with all that money. Holzhauer, a 34-year-old sports bettor from Las Vegas, has spoken about traveling the world with his family. In addition, he’s also been donating some of his winnings to various charities from his hometown, according to the New York Post.
Holzhauer has big plans for how he’ll enjoy his newfound financial freedom. But he’s also not keeping all that money to himself. He has already donated tens of thousands of dollars to organizations located in Las Vegas. So far, known recipients of his generosity include the Las Vegas-Clark County Library, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and the Ronald McDonald House in Las Vegas.
The champ also intends to treat his tennis-loving family to an experience they won’t ever forget by buying them tickets to see the U.S. Open. He joked that with every new game he wins, their view of the match is getting a little better.
“I’d like to finally send my old man and his missus to the US Open this summer. Their ticket requests get closer to center court with every episode I win.”
Jeopardy! Champion James Holzhauer Surpasses the $2 Million Mark in 27th Straight Win https://t.co/RmNq4977ks
— People (@people) May 25, 2019
Even though Holzhauer is clearly a highly intelligent contestant who knows how to play the game well, not all Jeopardy! viewers appreciate his talent. During nearly every game, he surges well above his opponents in mere minutes, turning the game quite quickly into a runaway. For some, this has made the show fairly predictable in recent weeks and has taken some of the entertainment aspect out of it.
Other viewers are turned off by Holzhauer’s obvious confidence, which is clear in the way he portrays himself during each game. He expresses very little hesitancy when answering a question, takes full advantage of the Daily Doubles, and rarely gets an answer incorrect.
“The look on tonight’s #jeopardychallengers says it all,” one fan of the show tweeted last week.
He included a photo of Holzhauer’s two recently defeated opponents at the conclusion of the show. They look at the champ with clear frustration on their face.
“I find him incredibly incredibly smug,” another user commented.
