A: $2 MIL. Q: WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF 'FILTHY RICH'?Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer WIN OR LOSE in tonight's $2 million Ultimate Tournament of Champions on ``Jeopardy!,'' Ken Jennings
Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) holds the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. is proof there is life after game-show stardom. Jennings, the 30-something mild-mannered software engineer from Salt Lake City, already has parlayed his record 74 victories and $2.52 million in winnings from regular-season competition into endorsements for an insurance carrier and a cellular phone company. His friendly face beams from the box of the new board game ``Can You Beat Ken?'' and he's working on a book due out next year. Now he has a deal with Comedy Central to develop and co-host a game show next season in partnership with Michael Davies Michael Davies may refer to:
Tonight's results will tell whether Comedy Central picked the real winner or merely an exceptional past champion of the answer-and-question quiz show quiz show n. A television or radio program in which the contestants' knowledge is tested by questioning, with some contestants winning money or prizes. . Jennings is in the final night of a pretaped three-day contest against Pennsylvania's Brad Rutter Bradford "Brad" Rutter (born January 31, 1978) is a Pennsylvania quiz show host, most widely known as a contestant on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy!. As of 2007, he has won more money on a game show than any other person in history. and Studio City writer Jerome Vered. The winner gets $2 million, with second and third taking $500,000 and $250,000 respectively - a record sum for all game shows. Vered, who set a record in 1992 for single-day winnings of $34,000, admits there is some envy behind his desire to beat Jennings, whose reign stemmed from rules changes. A few years ago the show doubled the value of each answer on the board, and last season it scrapped the five-game limit. It was Jennings who topped Vered's single-day winnings after some 50 games. ``I think it's a little unfair,'' Vered, 47, said of the rules changes' impact on standing records. ``After somebody's played 10 to 12 times, you really get good on the buzzer. ``Who wouldn't want the opportunity to see how far you could go under these new rules? I think somebody could (beat Jennings). I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if it's going to be me,'' he added, even though he already knows the outcome. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Valerie Kuklenski, (818) 713-3750 valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com JEOPARDY! ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS The Ultimate Tournament of Champions was a fifteen-week single-elimination tournament on the syndicated game show Jeopardy! that began airing on February 9, 2005 and concluded on May 25, 2005. What: $2 million prize awaits celebrated champ Ken Jennings or one of two rivals in the answer-and-question quiz show. Where: KABC KABC Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (Channel 7). When: 7 tonight. |
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