Matt Amodio now trails behind Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer at #3 for highest winnings in regular season play! pic.twitter.com/4NmqmC9gu7— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) August 13, 2021
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Jeopardy champion Matt Amodio has become the third-highest earner in the show's history after winning his 17th game in a row.
Amodio has earned $547,600 in total, putting him behind fellow champions James Holzhauer at $2,462,216 and Ken Jennings at $2,520,700.
He reached third place after winning $42,400 on Thursday. Amodio, a fifth-year computer science Ph.D. student at Yale University, shook his head in disbelief and smiled as guest host Joe Buck told him about reaching third place.
Amodio is also in fifth place for most consecutive wins and will be competing again on Friday starting at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC.
"The show has had so many brilliant people [on it]. I'm honored to be thought of as even close to them," he said in a statement.
Amodio, in a recent interview with Vulture, said he had to study pop culture as it is his biggest weakness and is a fan of the show and Jennings. Amodio remarked on how it felt to be recognized by Jennings on Twitter.
"I still can't believe it. In terms of top moment of my life, I assume getting my Ph.D. will be a good one. When I get married, that'll be a good one. I'm not sure they're gonna unseat Ken Jennings recognizing me. That's really No. 1 in my book," he said.
Mike Richards, the executive producer of Jeopardy!, was recently named the new host of the long-running game show. Mayim Bialik of Big Bang Theory fame will be hosting new Jeopardy! primetime specials including the Jeopardy! National College Championship and a potential spinoff series.
Original host Alex Trebek died at age 80 in November from pancreatic cancer.
