'Jeopardy!' champ James Holzhauer donates $10k to education charity as winnings pile up
LAS VEGAS -- James Holzhauer has netted more than $2 million so far on "Jeopardy!", and the record-smashing champ is sharing his newfound fortune with his community.
Holzhauer, who lives in Nevada, donated $10,000 to Communities In Schools of Nevada, an organization dedicated to helping students debating dropping out stay in school, the organization announced earlier this week.
"We are incredibly moved by the generosity of James & Melissa Holzhauer for their $10,000 donation today. They are truly #AllInForKids and we are so grateful for their support!" the organization said in a statement posted to Facebook.
The organization's CEO told local television station KNTV that Holzhauer "was moved by their mission and impressed by their work with students in Nevada's schools."
Holzhauer donated $10,000 to another local education charity in May, according to KNTV. He has also reportedly made donations to the Ronald McDonald House and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, according to various local media reports.
As of June 1, Holzhauer has won $2,382,583 over the course of 31 "Jeopardy!" episodes. Holzhauer, who often wins more than $90,000 per episode, is poised to overtake Ken Jennings' $2,520,700 regular-season winnings record in approximately half the time it took Jennings in 2004.
The record for the highest overall winnings is held by Brad Rutter, who won $4,688,436. Rutter's "Jeopardy!" windfall includes winnings from the regular season as well as multiple tournaments. Including tournament winnings, Jennings won a total of $3,370,700.
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