The last time we checked in on Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider, she stood at fifth overall in regular-play earnings. This was already a hell of a run in addition to Schneider becoming the show’s first trans champion during trans awareness week. Now, Schneider has become the fourth overall champ [with current earnings reaching $687,000, placing her behind only Ken Jennings ($2,520,700), James Holzhauer ($2,462,216), and Matt Amodio ($1,518,601)]. That’s not the only new notch on Schneider’s belt, though.
Amy, who has now won 18 consecutive games, has now reached another vaunted status: the woman with the highest earnings in all of Jeopardy! history.
The champ who previously held this record, Larissa Kelly, hails back to the aughts with her final regular-play game taking place in 2008 (she did return for a few tournaments, including the 2019 Jeopardy! All Star Games). She remains the fifth overall earnings champion and has now been knocked back to woman with the second-highest earnings. Larissa took to Twitter to acknowledge the passing of the torch.
“Well, it was fun to hold a Jeopardy record for a few years,” Larissa tweeted. “[B]ut it’s been even more fun to watch @Jeopardamy set new standards for excellence, on the show and off. Congratulations to Amy on becoming the woman with the highest overall earnings in the show’s history!”
Well, it was fun to hold a Jeopardy record for a few years…but it’s been even more fun to watch @Jeopardamy set new standards for excellence, on the show and off. Congratulations to Amy on becoming the woman with the highest overall earnings in the show’s history!
— Larissa Kelly (@Larissa_K_Kelly) December 24, 2021
Amy, of course, handled the congrats with style: “Thanks so much, I’m honored to be in your company, and I look forward to some day watching the woman who beats us both!”
I hope there will be a long line of such women, but you are certainly setting the bar extremely high for them! (And holy hell, that’s *before* any tournaments…can’t wait to see the fireworks to come!)
— Larissa Kelly (@Larissa_K_Kelly) December 24, 2021
Well, Larissa’s pulling for her and other ladies to come. “I hope there will be a long line of such women, but you are certainly setting the bar extremely high for them!” Larissa wrote on Twitter. “(And holy hell, that’s *before* any tournaments…can’t wait to see the fireworks to come!)”
I hope there will be a long line of such women, but you are certainly setting the bar extremely high for them! (And holy hell, that’s *before* any tournaments…can’t wait to see the fireworks to come!)
— Larissa Kelly (@Larissa_K_Kelly) December 24, 2021
Schneider returns to take aim at her 19th consecutive win on Monday. She has been very frank about what sucks about winning and has also used her platform to call out the GOP, and surely (as Larissa noted), there are many more fireworks on the way.