How Alex Trebek Became the Face of ‘Jeopardy!’ and Earned an Insanely High Net Worth
In March 2019, when Alex Trebek shared the devastating news that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, his fans were left wondering if he would retire from his longtime role as the host of Jeopardy! The 78-year-old has been the face of “America’s Favorite Quiz Show” for about 35 years, and as a result, his estimated net worth is $50 million.
Trebek revealed his cancer diagnosis in a video message posted to the Jeopardy! YouTube channel. “Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you,” he said. “Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.”
Determined to fight the disease, Trebek said that he’ll continue to work on the show, as long as he feels healthy enough. “Normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this and I’m going to keep working,” he said.
It’s unclear whether the game show host will renew his contract after it expires in 2020, especially when he called the chances “50/50, and a little less” before his cancer diagnosis. He recently appeared on Good Morning America, sharing that his “cancer indicators are coming down” but has also been open about the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy, like hair loss, pain, and mood changes.
Everything Trebek is going through now makes a look back at his career even more inspiring. Here’s how he became one of the most successful television figures of all time.
He worked in broadcasting to help fund his college tuition
While it’s hard to believe, Trebek didn’t always host game shows. Born and raised in Sudbury, Canada, a young Trebek headed to the Canadian capital to study philosophy and journalism at the University of Ottawa. To help fund his college tuition, he worked part-time as a fill-in reporter and newscaster at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
After graduation, in 1961, Trebek landed his first full-time gig at CBC as a staff announcer covering weather, news, and regional sports on radio and television broadcasts. As his on-screen reputation grew, he decided to shift his focus to special programming and game shows. At 26, the television personality became the host of the popular Canadian quiz show Reach for the Top.
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In 1973, Trebek landed his breakout role in the United States as host of The Wizards of Odds. The show only lasted one season, but Trebek signed on to host its replacement, another game show called High Rollers. In the meantime, he hosted other game shows in both the U.S. and Canada, such as The $128,000 Question, Double Dare, and Pitfall.
Trebek got his big break in the '80s-and the money came rolling in
Ten years after moving to the U.S., Trebek was recruited by famed Wheel of Fortune creator Merv Griffin to host another game show: Jeopardy! At the time, the show was struggling. It first aired from 1964 to 1975 before being cancelled by NBC.
But enter Trebek’s warm smile, dry humor, and charming personality and the show was gaining popularity by 1989. In fact, the host was nominated for his first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for Jeopardy! that same year-and won five more Emmys in the years to come. In 1991, he became the first person to host three American game shows at the same time when he took on jobs for Classic Concentration and To Tell the Truth.
More than 7,000 episodes later, Trebek has become synonymous with Jeopardy! The show currently averages 9 to 10 million viewers per episode, and in 2013, it earned the number one spot on TV Guide’s list of the 60 Greatest Game Shows of All Time.
With a high-profile job on television’s most praised shows, it’s no surprise that its longstanding host rings in a $10 million salary each year, bringing Trebek’s estimated net worth to $50 million.
Salary alone doesn’t seem to drive his motivation as host of the show. In an interview with Vulture, Trebek reflected on the fulfillment he finds in his work. “The meaning I get from my job is that it has provided me with opportunities to explore the world geographically, socially, and philanthropically,” he said. “Doing that has allowed me to develop as a human.”
He has spent some of his wealth on luxury real estate
If you made millions of dollars a year, what would you spend it on? For Trebek, it’s a mix of luxury real estate and philanthropy.
And yes, he even purchased a mountain! In 1990, the LA Times reported that the host bought 35 acres of land in the Hollywood Hills for $1.5 million. He planned to build a beautiful home for him and his wife and resell the lots surrounding the bottom of the property.
In 2013, the host sold his 5,554-square-foot house in the Hollywood Hills for $3.995 million. He’s owned other luxury properties, like a million-dollar home in Lake Nacimiento. Today, Trebek, his wife, and two children reside in Los Angeles.
The Trebek family donates millions to charitable causes
Trebek’s family gives a portion of their income to a wide range of charitable causes, mostly through the Trebek Family Foundation. They’ve supported organizations focused on education, arts and culture, and health, including the Actors Fund of America, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, International Medical Corps, and John Wayne Cancer Institute.
Trebek has steadily contributed to his alma mater, the University of Ottawa, over the years, as well as his son's alma mater, Fordham University. In February 2019, he funded a $1 million scholarship for students commuting from the Harlem area to Fordham. The family has also supported U.S. war veterans and organizations like National Geographic Society, and health service organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind. We can likely expect more philanthropic efforts from the Trebek family in the years to come.
From giving back to fighting through health problems to changing the game show industry as it was known, Trebek has inspired us all in his decades-long career and will go down in history as one of the most legendary faces of television ever.
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