Don’t Look Now, But “Jeopardy!”‘s New Champion Just Broke the Million-Dollar Mark

Matt Amodio joins a very exclusive group of contestants

Matt Amodio
Matt Amodio is in the midst of an all-time great "Jeopardy!" run.
Jeopardy Productions

This year, much of the discussion of Jeopardy! has surrounded the ongoing question of who would succeed Alex Trebek. It’s an understandable debate for a host of reasons, but it’s also taken the spotlight off the contestants somewhat. As it turns out, that might be shortchanging the show somewhat — because right now, Jeopardy! appears to be in the midst of a run for the ages.

That’s because contestant Matt Amodio is currently racking up one of the most substantial amounts of winnings outside of tournament play in the show’s history. In a report published Saturday at The AV Club, William Hughes points out that this Amodio’s run is currently the third-longest winning streak in the show’s history.

Amodio has won 28 games so far, placing him behind James Holzhauer (who won 32) and Ken Jennings (who won 74). It is notable that the two men ahead of him in these standings both won amounts in excess of two million dollars, clearing the million-dollar mark on Jeopardy! is no small accomplishment. As of Friday’s game, Amodio has won $1,004,001. “I’m going to learn a lot about investing in the coming months,” he said.

What’s even more notable about Amodio’s run to date is that it’s run though the tenures of several of the show’s guest hosts. As The AV Club’s article points out, it began on July 22, when LeVar Burton was hosting. He’s continued under hosts David Faber, Joe Buck and Mike Richards — and he’s still competing, with Monday’s episode offering viewers a chance to see if he can reach 29 games won.

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