In 1975, the very first episode of Wheel of Fortune aired on NBC, marking the birth of a series that has since become synonymous with American game show television. Though he stepped down from the role in 2024, Pat Sajak stood at the helm of the iconic show for over 40 years—and made a fortune doing so. But just how much did he make?
Well, according to Celebrity Net Worth, the Wheel of Fortune host's net worth is $75 million.
Pat Sajak Made a Fortune Hosting Wheel of Fortune
The exact series of numbers that appeared on Pat Sajak's paychecks throughout his many years as Wheel of Fortune host is only known to him (and the network's accounting department). As Forbes reported back in 2016, however, his salary was a cool $15 million per season that year, a relatively modest income compared to Dr. Phil's $88 million paychecks.
We can assume he likely got some kind of cost-of-living raise in the following years, not to mention the contract negotiation of 2021 and the consulting producer credit that came along with it on top of the additional cash that came with hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
To say Sajak did well for himself is an understatement, especially when you consider the amount he was working to earn those massive paychecks.
Game Show Host Isn't Exactly a Strenuous Job
For many of us, working a tight 40 hours a week is a dream scenario. Too many of us find ourselves working overtime at a single job or even taking on multiple full-time jobs to make a living wage. Luckily for Pat Sajak, that was not an issue as Wheel of Fortune host.
In fact, the pre-taped game show is only filmed 4 days a month. That's 48 days of work per year, for those counting, meaning Sajak made somewhere around $312,500 per day.
Now, the show does air 195 episodes per season, so it's not like each of those 48 days consisted of an hour's worth of work. Those 4 days a month were probably tough ones. But still, quite a light workload, if you ask the average citizen.
Wheel of Fortune Wasn't Pat Sajak's Largest Source of Income
If you thought $15 million was a lot, think again. Pat Sajak's Wheel of Fortune salary wasn't even his largest income stream.
Both Sajak and his cohost, Vanna White, reportedly make more from licensing their images to Wheel of Fortune-themed casino slot machines than actually hosting the show.
You can't walk into a casino (or an arcade, for that matter) without seeing a Wheel of Fortune machine. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the show's themed games are among the most popular slot machines in the city. There are some 20,000 WoF machines around the world generating billions in revenue, each one putting a little money in Pat Sajak's pocket.
Moral of the story: become a game show host. And if you can't, at least get your face slapped on a few slot machines.
