Topline
Jeopardy contestant Jamie Ding’s streak of 31 consecutive wins ended on Monday night, the fifth-best run in the game show’s history, with a final winning prize of more than $880,000, although he is likely to take home a much smaller payout after taxes and deductions.
Jamie Ding’s 31 game winning streak is the fifth best in Jeopardy’s history.
Getty Images
Key Facts
Ding’s run ended with him winning $882,605 in total.
The winnings will first be subject to a mandatory federal withholding of 24%, which will be approximately $211,825.
If he filed in the top bracket, Ding would be taxed at a marginal rate of 37%, bringing his total federal liability to around $276,564—although this includes the 24% withholding.
Ding is a New Jersey resident, but since California taxes non-residents on income sources from the state, he’ll likely end up with a state tax bill of $89,731.52 under the state’s 12.3% top progressive rate.
When filing in his home state, he can claim a credit for the tax paid in California, so he’ll owe New Jersey zero state tax.
After deducting both the federal and state taxes, Ding will take home $516,309.38 of his total winnings.
Big Number
74. That is the length of the longest winning streak in Jeopardy history, a record that is held by the show’s current host, Ken Jennings.
Key Background
Ding’s $882,605 prize is the fifth-highest total scored in a regular season of Jeopardy; Jennings is on top of this list again with $2,520,700. Ding was just one win away from equalling contestant James Holzhauer’s 2019 run of 32 wins. Despite winning just one more game than Ding, Holzhauer’s total winnings were much bigger at $2,462,216.
Surprising Fact
‘Deal or No Deal Island’ contestant David Genat won the largest prize money pot in American game show history last year, when he walked away with winnings of $5.8 million.