Pat Sajak’s ’Wheel of Fortune’ Salary Is So Massive, and He Only Works 4 Days a Month
Pat Sajak has been hosting Wheel of Fortune for the past 84 years (okay, more like 40 years), and thanks to parents and grandparents the world over being too lazy to turn off the TV after Jeopardy every night, viewership is still sky-high. And yep, our dude Pat is wildly rich as a result. Here’s what we know about what’s lurking in his bank account—which, by the way, is somewhat debated. The internet simply cannot agree on Pat Sajak’s wealth! Let’s get into it, but first, this GIF. (Sorry in advance.)
How Much Does Pat—Bless Him—Make for Wheel of Fortune?
Back in 2016 (so seven full years ago), Forbes reported that Pat was earning $15 million per season of Wheel of Fortune. This is obviously a lot of money, especially if you consider what this dude’s work/life balance is like. As in, Celebrity Net Worth reports that he only works four days per month. I repeat: FOUR. DAYS. PER. MONTH. That’s 48 days per year, $312,500 per workday, and $52,083 per episode. With respect, how do I...take over for him when he retires?
Just keep in mind that, again, $15 million per year is what Pat was earning in 2016. It’s more than likely that he makes far more now, especially since he and Vanna White reportedly signed fancy new contracts in late 2021 that take them through Wheel of Fortune’s 2023–2024 season. That said, apparently, these two have their eye on retirement because Pat semi-recently told Entertainment Tonight, “We’re certainly closer to the end than the beginning. I’d like to leave before people tune in and look at me and say, ‘Ooh, what happened to him?’ I wouldn’t bet on seeing us in, like, 10 years, I would say.”
FYI, when Wheel of Fortune is in production, Pat and Vanna film six shows per day, and Celebrity Net Worth says the schedule is pretty normal. Like, they arrive at 8:30 a.m. (reasonable!) and shooting begins at noon (also reasonable!). Oh, and a lot of their job seems to consists of this general vibe:
What About Pat’s Real Estate Portfolio?
From what we can tell, Pat owns a home in Maryland, which he bought for $1.275 million in the ’90s. Gonna assume it’s worth a lot more than that now. He also seems to own a place in Encino, which he bought in 1988 for $1.8 million. Gonna assume that one’s also worth way more these days!
His Total Net Worth Is Hotly Debated
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pat has a total net worth of $70 million. Given taxes, expenses, and general overhead, this sounds about right—especially if he only started making $15 million toward the latter half of his 40-year run as Wheel of Fortune’s host. But other outlets have made unverified claims that Pat is actually sitting on a way bigger fortune, closer to the tune of $250 million. Which could make sense if he’s been earning that $15 million per year this whole damn time.
Pat hasn’t confirmed his salary (makes sense due to things like privacy/it being no one’s business, whoops), so his exact net worth is going to remain a mystery until Forbes gets its act together and gives Wheel of Fortune the cover it deserves! Till then, I leave you with this:
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