Last Updated: October 12, 2023
Info
Category:
Richest CelebritiesActors
Net Worth:
$4 Million
Birthdate:
Jan 31, 1978 (46 years old)
Birthplace:
Lancaster
Gender:
Male
Height:
5 ft 11 in (1.82 m)
💰 Compare Brad Rutter's Net Worth
Table of ContentsExpand
  1. Early Life
  2. Career
  3. Personal Life

What is Brad Rutter's Net Worth?

Brad Rutter is an American recording-winning game show contestant who has a net worth of $4 million. Brad Rutter earned fame and fortune by being the biggest all-time money winner on the game show "Jeopardy!," with earnings totaling more than $4.5 million.

He made his debut on the show in 2000 at a time when contestants were limited to five straight wins. Rutter took home a little more than $55,000 during his first stint. Since he won five in a row, he was invited to compete in the Tournament of Champions and claimed the top prize. As winner, he was chosen for the Million Dollar Masters Tournament, which he also topped.

Rutter won the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, defeating famed "Jeopardy!" contestant Ken Jennings in the process. It was during this tournament that Rutter became the biggest winner ever on an American game show, though Jennings would take back the title a few years later. In 2011, Rutter was part of the "Jeopardy!" IBM Challenge, where he and Jennings faced off against the company's computer, Watson. Rutter placed third during the competition. He has since appeared on several other game shows, including "1 vs. 100" and "The Chase".

Early Life

Brad Rutter was born on January 31, 1978 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was a very clever student, though he did not apply himself in school but focused much of his attention on extracurricular activities. He attended Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsylvania. There he was a member of the quiz bowl team. His team won second place at the 1994 Texaco Star National Academic Championship. He is one of the 19 people to have been named to the National Academic Championship Hall of Fame in its 25-year history. After high school, he enrolled at Johns Hopkins University to study English; however, he later dropped out.

Career

Rutter was working at the Lancaster Coconuts record store when he applied to be on the trivia game show "Jeopardy!" in 2000. He first appeared on the show in October of that year. At that time, the rules for the show stated that a contestant who won five consecutive days could retire and be considered undefeated, in addition to being guaranteed a spot in the Tournament of Champions. Rutter did win over five consecutive days with total earnings of $55,102. He also was awarded a choice of a new car, as the show gave undefeated champions a car at that time. The rules of the show were later changed, allowing undefeated contestants to continue on the show until they were beaten by someone new.

As a five-day champion, Rutter was invited to the 2001 Tournament of Champions. There he defeated the other champions and won the $100,000 main prize. He was invited back the following year in 2002 for the Million Dollar Masters Tournament where he won the $1,000,000 main prize and became the largest overall money winner in the show's history.

Rutter returned again in 2005 for the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. There, he again won and took home total winnings of $2,115,000. It was during this tournament that he defeated Ken Jennings and Jerome Vered, two other contestants who had also been very successful on the show in the years since Rutter's first appearance. Rutter surpassed Jennings as the highest money-winner ever on American game shows with the 2005 win, though Jennings would later take this title back.

Brad Rutter

Valerie Macon/Getty Images

In February of 2011, Rutter competed against Jennings again in the "Jeopardy!" IBM Challenge. This time, the two were also competing against IBM's Watson computer. It was the first ever man-versus-computer competition in the show's history. The computer program won easily, and all three contestants donated their winnings to charity.

A few years later, Rutter participated in the "Jeopardy!" 2014 "Battle of the Decades." This competition pitted top champions from throughout the previous 30 years of the show against one another. Rutter appeared in the 1990s week of the tournament. He then appeared in the quarterfinals, winning the round to proceed to the semifinals. In May of 2014, he won the tournament overall and the $1,000,000 prize, defeating both Ken Jennings and Roger Craig in the final round. In 2019, Rutter teamed up with fellow "Jeopardy!" champions, Larissa Kelly and Dave Madden to win the "Jeopardy!" All-Stars Game. Rutter acted as the team captain and the trio split the top prize of $1,000,000. The next year, he competed in the "Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time" event, and finished in third.

In addition to his many appearances of "Jeopardy!" and the show's related tournaments, Rutter has also appeared on a number of other game shows. In 2006, he appeared on the U.S. game show "1 vs. 100." He appeared on the show again in 2007. In 2010, he competed in the World Quizzing Championship. There, he finished 140th. He also was a contestant on "Million Dollar Mind Game" in 2011 where his team won $600,000. In May of 2012, he did a pilot episode for the show "Chaser," though the show was ultimately not picked up. "Chaser" was slated to be the American version of the British game show "The Chase." The episodes that Rutter shot were later aired by GSN. Rutter was later hired in 2020 for the ABC revival of "The Chase."

In May of 2020, Rutter appeared on a revival of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" as an in-person celebrity lifeline for actress Catherine O'Hara. He helped O'Hara correctly answer two questions.

Personal Life

Rutter lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania until 2009. While living there, he hosted a local broadcast quiz show called "InQuizitive" for local high school students. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue career opportunities in the entertainment industry. Rutter is a lifelong fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. He has shouted out the team during various appearances on "Jeopardy!"

All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
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