In brief
- Alex Trebek’s net worth was an estimated $75 million at his death in November 2020 (Celebrity Net Worth).
- He reportedly earned $18 million a year from Jeopardy! in his final years.
- He hosted more than 8,200 episodes of Jeopardy! from 1984 until 2020.
- He gave more than $10 million to the University of Ottawa.
As of October 2026, Alex Trebek’s net worth at the time of his death in November 2020 is estimated at $75 million by Celebrity Net Worth. Most of that wealth came from hosting Jeopardy! for nearly 37 seasons, where he earned a reported $18 million a year in his final years.
Trebek died on 8 November 2020, aged 80, after being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019. His wealth now sits with his estate and family, so the figure below is an estimate of what he was worth when he died.
What was Alex Trebek’s net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Alex Trebek was worth $75 million when he died. The estimate is based on his long-running salary, his property holdings and his other television work. His exact estate value has not been made public.
Also readMichael Dell Net Worth 2026: $241.6 Billion After October Slide| Item | Figure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated net worth at death | $75 million | Celebrity Net Worth |
| Jeopardy! salary (final years) | $18 million a year | About 46 taping days a year |
| Pay per taping day | About $391,000 | Five episodes per day |
| Pay per episode | About $78,000 | Estimate |
| Studio City home | Bought for $2.15 million, sold for $6.45 million | 1991 and 2022 |
| University of Ottawa gifts | More than $10 million | Over his lifetime |
How Alex Trebek made his money
Trebek built his fortune almost entirely through television. After starting at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, he moved to the United States in 1973 and hosted several game shows before he took over Jeopardy! in 1984.
The revived Jeopardy! premiered on 10 September 1984 and became one of the most watched syndicated shows in American television. Trebek hosted more than 8,200 episodes. In 2014, Guinness World Records recognised him for hosting the most episodes of a game show by the same presenter.
Alongside Jeopardy!, he hosted NBC’s Classic Concentration from 1987 to 1991. In 1991 he briefly hosted To Tell the Truth as well, which meant he was presenting three game shows at the same time. These extra shows added to his income during his peak earning years.
He also earned smaller sums from guest appearances, endorsements and his memoir, The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, published in July 2020.
Jeopardy! salary and earnings
In his final years, Trebek reportedly earned $18 million a year from Jeopardy!, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The show taped about 46 days a year, with five episodes recorded each day.
That works out to about $391,000 per taping day and about $78,000 per episode. For comparison, Celebrity Net Worth reports that Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak earned about $15 million a year, while Vanna White earned $3 million at the time, later raised to $10 million.
Trebek kept hosting through his cancer treatment. His final episodes aired in January 2021, after his death.
Assets: homes and property
Trebek’s main home was in the Fryman Estates area of Studio City, Los Angeles. He bought the house in 1991 for $2.15 million. The property has nearly 10,000 square feet of living space on about 1.5 acres.
After his death, the house was listed in January 2022 for just under $7 million and sold in May 2022 for $6.45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
In the mid-1990s he bought a ranch of about 724 acres in Creston, near Paso Robles in California, for about $4.1 million, where he bred horses. He sold it in 2005 for roughly $10 million. He also owned a 30-acre retreat at Lake Nacimiento, which sold in 2019 for about $1.3 million.
Early life and career
George Alexander Trebek was born on 22 July 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His father was a Ukrainian immigrant and his mother was French-Canadian, and he grew up speaking English and French.
He studied philosophy at the University of Ottawa and joined the CBC in 1961, where he read news and hosted music and quiz programmes, including Music Hop in 1963 and the student quiz Reach for the Top. His first American hosting job was NBC’s The Wizard of Odds in 1973.
Over his career, Trebek won eight Daytime Emmy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.
Personal life, illness and death
Trebek married Elaine Callei in 1974. They divorced in 1981, and he adopted her daughter, Nicky. In 1990 he married Jean Currivan, and they had two children, Matthew and Emily. He became a naturalised US citizen in 1998.
In March 2019, he announced that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He continued to tape Jeopardy! during treatment and died at his Los Angeles home on 8 November 2020. Ken Jennings now hosts the show.
Charity and legacy
Trebek gave more than $10 million to the University of Ottawa, including a $5 million endowment for the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue. In 1998 he donated about 74 acres in the Hollywood Hills for conservation and public use, and he was a long-time supporter of World Vision.
A transitional housing centre run by Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission in Los Angeles is named the Trebek Center in his honour. In July 2024, the US Postal Service released a Forever stamp in his memory, designed like a Jeopardy! clue.
For more on the wealth of other television stars, see Betty White’s net worth and Steve Harvey’s net worth.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Alex Trebek net worth (estimate), NPR via KAXE, Alex Trebek honoured with US postage stamp (2024).
Frequently asked questions
What was Alex Trebek’s net worth when he died?
Alex Trebek’s net worth was estimated at $75 million when he died on 8 November 2020, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Most of his wealth came from hosting Jeopardy! for nearly 37 seasons, along with property sales and earlier television work.
How much did Alex Trebek earn per episode of Jeopardy!?
Trebek reportedly earned $18 million a year in his final years on Jeopardy!. With about 46 taping days a year and five episodes a day, that works out to about $391,000 per taping day and about $78,000 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
How long did Alex Trebek host Jeopardy!?
Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! from its revival on 10 September 1984 until his death in November 2020, a run of nearly 37 seasons and more than 8,200 episodes. His final episodes aired in January 2021. Ken Jennings now hosts the show.
Who inherited Alex Trebek’s fortune?
Details of Alex Trebek’s will have not been made public. He was survived by his wife, Jean Currivan Trebek, and his children Matthew, Emily and Nicky. His Studio City home, bought in 1991 for $2.15 million, sold for $6.45 million in May 2022.
What charities did Alex Trebek support?
Trebek gave more than $10 million to the University of Ottawa and donated about 74 acres in the Hollywood Hills for conservation. He supported World Vision and helped fund a Los Angeles housing centre for homeless people, named the Trebek Center in his honour.
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