List of largest single day Jeopardy! winnings
The following is a list of the 195 single non-tournament game totals of $30,000 or more in Jeopardy! history. Seven of these totals have been won during Jeopardy! Kids Week, with Kunle Demuren winning the largest at $49,000. Ken Jennings holds many Jeopardy! records including the single largest total ($75,000), most $30,000 or larger totals (49), most $40,000 or larger totals (22), and the most $50,000 or larger totals (11). Three contestants have ever won a single non-tournament game total of $50,000 or more—Jennings 11 times, Brian Weikle once, and Myron Meyer once. Ten other contestants before the 2001 doubling of dollar values won $25,000 or more, making their totals greater than $50,000.
The clue values have changed once—doubling in 2001—since the first Trebek-era episode in 1984.
Jeopardy Round clue values |
|
|---|---|
1984– |
2001– |
$100 |
$200 |
$200 |
$400 |
$300 |
$600 |
$400 |
$800 |
$500 |
$1,000 |
Only four contestants won a total of $30,000 or more in the period of lower clue values from 1984-2001. Jerome Vered won the largest total in this period—$34,000 in 1992. Another significant rules change was the removal of an appearance limit for returning champions beginning in the first game of Season 20. Prior to the change repeat winners could only make a total of 5 appearances before being automatically replaced and entered in the next Tournament of Champions. Larissa Kelly is the only player other than Jennings to ever win 5 $30,000 or larger totals, but she did so over 7 games after this rules change. 4 players—Seth Alcorn, Jeff Goldfarb, Brian Weikle, and John Beck—are the only players to win multiple totals of this size (each won 2) prior to the appearance limit being lifted.
Winners
Cash totals not included below are those won from tournaments such as the Teen Tournament, College Championship, or Tournament of Champions.
Players who won $25,000 or more on Jeopardy! in the pre-2001 dollar values are also listed in order of adjusted score.
Date |
Name (count) |
Total |
|---|---|---|
07/23/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$75,000 |
05/21/1992 |
Jerome Vered |
$68,000 |
07/07/2000 |
Doug Lach |
$65,200 |
07/01/1998 |
John Skelton |
$62,000 |
01/15/1990 |
Frank Spangenberg |
$61,200 |
06/21/1991 |
Mark Born |
$58,800 |
06/12/2000 |
Jason Parker |
$56,000 |
09/07/1989 |
Bob Blake |
$55,400 |
12/04/1995 |
Michael Daunt |
$54,800 |
11/24/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$55,099 |
07/20/1988 |
Bruce Naegli |
$53,200 |
06/24/1996 |
Karl Coryat |
$52,200 |
07/22/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$52,000 |
07/12/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$52,000 |
07/09/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$52,000 |
04/14/2003 |
Brian Weikle |
$52,000 |
11/07/1985 |
Harvey Becker |
$50,800 |
11/25/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
11/03/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
09/17/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
09/05/2002 |
Myron Meyer |
$50,000 |
07/16/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
06/15/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
06/10/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$50,000 |
04/15/2009 |
Kevin Joyce |
$49,699 |
09/18/2002 |
Kunle Demuren |
$49,000 |
06/25/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$48,801 |
04/24/2003 |
Matt Caruso |
$48,799 |
01/28/2009 |
Jack Feerick |
$48,600 |
11/01/2005 |
Maria Wenglinsky |
$46,600 |
05/20/2008 |
Larissa Kelly |
$45,200 |
11/02/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$45,099 |
09/13/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$45,000 |
05/27/2008 |
Larissa Kelly |
$42,800 |
06/25/2003 |
Seth Alcorn |
$42,100 |
11/04/2008 |
David Skaar |
$42,000 |
12/23/2009 |
Ryan Chaffee |
$41,600 |
06/11/2008 |
Debbie Barnes |
$41,201 |
09/06/2002 |
Jake Maeroff |
$41,201 |
12/04/2008 |
Ben Bishop |
$40,800 |
12/09/2004 |
Tom McCudden |
$40,600 |
03/12/2007 |
Jennifer Gotcher |
$40,001 |
10/15/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
10/07/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
09/14/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
07/08/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
07/07/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
07/01/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
06/29/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
06/24/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$40,000 |
07/02/2002 |
Jeff Goldfarb |
$39,999 |
12/02/2009 |
Dave Belote |
$39,999 |
02/06/2004 |
Arthur Gandolfi |
$39,500 |
01/21/2004 |
Clinton Reese |
$39,000 |
06/01/2009 |
Sarah Doran |
$38,800 |
12/11/2006 |
Christian Haines |
$38,800 |
12/18/2008 |
Milt Hathaway |
$38,401 |
12/01/2008 |
Judy Mermelstein |
$38,401 |
10/06/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$38,400 |
04/29/2002 |
Ben Sternberg |
$38,400 |
03/01/2004 |
Patrick Macaraeg |
$38,001 |
06/26/2007 |
Cathy Lanctot |
$38,001 |
05/29/2007 |
Mehrun Etebari |
$37,900 |
04/21/2004 |
Tom Baker |
$37,800 |
09/15/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$37,600 |
05/23/2008 |
Larissa Kelly |
$37,597 |
06/11/2002 |
Rich Rosenlof |
$37,400 |
06/30/2006 |
Susannah Jacobson |
$37,201 |
06/02/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$37,201 |
12/08/2008 |
Geoff Moore |
$37,200 |
04/04/2007 |
Rita Schwab-Parcel |
$37,000 |
06/04/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$37,000 |
07/24/2008 |
Mark Wales |
$36,801 |
10/16/2006 |
Jim McMurtry |
$36,800 |
01/07/2003 |
Max Wagner |
$36,800 |
01/30/2009 |
Jack Feerick |
$36,399 |
04/01/2004 |
Chris Miller |
$36,399 |
12/29/2006 |
Jared Thompson |
$36,001 |
10/29/2007 |
Paul Glaser |
$36,000 |
02/25/2004 |
Arthur Gandolfi |
$36,000 |
06/27/2003 |
Seth Alcorn |
$36,000 |
09/12/2007 |
Rick Kent |
$35,601 |
07/17/2009 |
Kevin Yokum |
$35,599 |
05/21/2008 |
Larissa Kelly |
$35,400 |
06/05/2002 |
Rich Hastings |
$35,400 |
05/31/2004 |
Jerry Harvey |
$35,201 |
12/27/2001 |
Emily Kamm |
$35,200 |
01/19/2010 |
Jason Zollinger |
$35,199 |
06/11/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,158 |
10/05/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,038 |
04/17/2009 |
Kevin Joyce |
$35,000 |
10/12/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,000 |
10/11/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,000 |
07/19/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,000 |
06/30/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,000 |
06/16/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$35,000 |
01/14/2003 |
Kathleen Ellis |
$35,000 |
06/01/2004 |
Jerry Harvey |
$34,801 |
01/12/2004 |
Tom Walsh |
$34,800 |
02/19/2007 |
Amanda Froning |
$34,700 |
12/09/2009 |
Jove Graham |
$34,401 |
06/07/2002 |
Dileep Rao |
$34,400 |
07/07/2005 |
David Madden |
$34,200 |
02/23/2004 |
Arthur Gandolfi |
$34,200 |
10/27/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$34,001 |
06/17/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$34,000 |
10/12/2009 |
Terry Linwood |
$33,901 |
02/16/2009 |
Dan Smith |
$33,601 |
12/30/2008 |
John (Scott) Shive |
$33,601 |
07/03/2002 |
Jeff Goldfarb |
$33,601 |
05/26/2008 |
Larissa Kelly |
$33,600 |
04/13/2004 |
Scott "Renzo" Renzoni |
$33,600 |
01/09/2004 |
Tom Walsh |
$33,600 |
12/31/2009 |
Jessica Stapp |
$33,300 |
11/05/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$33,201 |
12/13/2002 |
Kyle Pope |
$33,200 |
01/29/2008 |
Melissa Prusi |
$33,198 |
07/21/2008 |
Mark Wales |
$33,001 |
12/12/2007 |
Martha Rothman |
$32,801 |
09/27/2006 |
Eric Barela |
$32,800 |
05/28/2007 |
Mehrun Etebari |
$32,800 |
02/24/2010 |
Tom Toce |
$32,800 |
12/26/2001 |
Michael Schulson |
$32,800 |
11/01/2007 |
Paul Glaser |
$32,600 |
04/10/2006 |
William Lee |
$32,500 |
04/09/2009 |
Priscilla Ball |
$32,401 |
10/13/2008 |
Todd Covert |
$32,401 |
03/31/2008 |
Bryan Johnson |
$32,401 |
10/09/2008 |
Jim Davis |
$32,401 |
01/04/2010 |
Jennifer Broders |
$32,401 |
04/23/2004 |
Tom Baker |
$32,300 |
01/07/2010 |
Andrea Saenz |
$32,200 |
04/22/2004 |
Tom Baker |
$32,200 |
10/03/2005 |
Jason Richards |
$32,100 |
07/11/2005 |
David Madden |
$32,100 |
04/27/2009 |
Liz Murphy |
$32,001 |
05/01/2008 |
Paul Thomas |
$32,001 |
10/22/2007 |
Nick Swezey |
$32,001 |
11/05/2008 |
David Skaar |
$32,000 |
07/13/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$32,000 |
01/13/2004 |
Tom Walsh |
$32,000 |
01/13/2004 |
Dave Fuller |
$32,000 |
02/22/2002 |
Roger Christensen |
$32,000 |
05/01/2008 |
Tom Morris |
$31,999 |
07/17/2006 |
Bruce Lin |
$31,801 |
01/07/2004 |
Tom Walsh |
$31,800 |
06/06/2002 |
Erik Best |
$31,700 |
12/19/2008 |
Milt Hathaway |
$31,601 |
06/17/2008 |
Dave Simpson |
$31,601 |
06/21/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$31,601 |
05/14/2007 |
Andrew Rostan |
$31,600 |
11/26/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$31,600 |
12/16/2008 |
George Yates |
$31,400 |
04/14/2003 |
Brian Weikle |
$31,400 |
05/23/2002 |
Patrick Kerr |
$31,400 |
06/21/2002 |
Eric Floyd |
$31,400 |
12/20/2007 |
Cora Peck |
$31,201 |
05/19/2003 |
Kay Reiman |
$31,201 |
03/27/2008 |
Ann Drourr |
$31,200 |
03/09/2004 |
Bobby Goldstein |
$31,200 |
01/23/2004 |
Margaret Meehan |
$31,200 |
12/26/2003 |
John Salmon |
$31,200 |
06/13/2003 |
John Beck |
$31,200 |
06/26/2002 |
John Overholt |
$31,200 |
10/16/2009 |
Kevin Wilson |
$31,199 |
03/11/2010 |
Cyd Musni |
$31,199 |
11/23/2009 |
Ben Davis |
$31,001 |
04/20/2006 |
Doug Dorst |
$31,001 |
04/26/2007 |
Andrew Rostan |
$31,000 |
12/02/2002 |
Anne Cichocki |
$30,900 |
12/21/2001 |
Robert Heiler |
$30,900 |
12/13/2001 |
Tracy Bond Bird |
$30,900 |
03/27/2007 |
Doug Hicton |
$30,801 |
09/21/2005 |
Mike Leger |
$30,801 |
10/15/2002 |
Henry Quillen |
$30,801 |
09/16/2003 |
Brian Hindelang |
$30,800 |
09/14/2009 |
Enrique Machado |
$30,799 |
10/30/2006 |
Chris Mazurek |
$30,798 |
06/30/2008 |
John Goodreau |
$30,600 |
04/28/2009 |
Liz Murphy |
$30,500 |
03/21/2007 |
Paul Horowitz |
$30,500 |
02/06/2009 |
Julia Dominick |
$30,401 |
03/01/2007 |
Brian Morris |
$30,401 |
10/08/2008 |
Jim Davis |
$30,401 |
09/12/2006 |
Nathalie Henderson |
$30,400 |
09/20/2006 |
Sara Terrell |
$30,400 |
09/20/2006 |
Nick Calton |
$30,400 |
02/16/2010 |
Jeremy Apsley |
$30,400 |
11/24/2005 |
Bill MacDonald |
$30,399 |
12/28/2009 |
Stephen Weingarten |
$30,398 |
10/21/2008 |
Mike Maheu |
$30,393 |
01/10/2003 |
Madeleine Schwartz |
$30,300 |
01/02/2007 |
Julie Dunlevy |
$30,200 |
06/07/2007 |
Susan Mitchell |
$30,100 |
01/01/2010 |
Neel Varde |
$30,001 |
07/19/2005 |
David Madden |
$30,001 |
09/23/2002 |
Tom Kelso |
$30,001 |
12/28/2001 |
Rachel Beckman |
$30,001 |
02/02/2009 |
Carolyn Young |
$30,000 |
10/31/2008 |
Carl Brandt |
$30,000 |
02/22/2007 |
Sri Narayanan |
$30,000 |
02/23/2007 |
Sri Narayanan |
$30,000 |
10/25/2006 |
Tracy Parrish Wolfe |
$30,000 |
04/07/2006 |
William Lee |
$30,000 |
11/03/2005 |
Maria Wenglinsky |
$30,000 |
11/09/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
10/29/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
10/28/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
10/25/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
10/08/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
09/16/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
09/10/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
07/21/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
06/18/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
06/07/2004 |
Ken Jennings |
$30,000 |
03/31/2004 |
David Seminer |
$30,000 |
06/19/2003 |
John Beck |
$30,000 |
10/22/2002 |
Gary Sullivan |
$30,000 |
04/03/2002 |
Bill Alston |
$30,000 |
03/08/2002 |
Jason McCune |
$30,000 |
11/29/2001 |
Frank Stasio |
$30,000 |
{{-}}
Total won during Jeopardy! Kids Week.
Adjusted total; won between 1984-2001 with lower clue values.