Canadian-American game show host, actor and television personality George Alexander Trebek, was born on 22 July 1940, in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and is certainly best known for hosting the popular game show created by Merv Griffin and called “Jeopardy!”
So just how rich is Alex Trebek, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, Alex’s annual salary amounts to $10 million, consistently contributing to his total net worth estimated at over $60 million, accumulated mostly from his on-screen appearances.
Alex Trebek Net Worth $60 Million
Alex Trebek attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute and later transferred to Malvern Collegiate Institute, then continued his studies at the University of Ottawa from which he graduated in 1961 with a degree in philosophy. Trebek had always been interested in pursuing a career in broadcasting, hence upon graduating he took up a job at the CBS network. Initially, Trebek worked as a sports commentator and news presenter, but within a short time, Trebek made his hosting debuted on television screens in the music called “Music Hop” in 1963. He went on to host another Canadian quiz game show entitled “Reach for the Top”, which eventually landed him a spot on the NBC’s “The Wizard of Odds”, where he worked from 1973 until 1974, followed by “High Rollers”, “Double Dare”, “The 128,000 Dollar Question”, and uniquely “Reach for the Top” in English and its Radio-Canada equivalent, “Génies en herbe” in French, indicating Alex’s versatility and popularity.
However, it is “Jeopardy!” with which Alex Trebek is most associated. Considered to be among the best game shows in the history of TV, “Jeopardy!” has been on air for 33 seasons, and up to date comprising more than 6,000 episodes. Alex joined the show in 1984, and has been a host ever since. The show has proven to be extremely popular over the years, as it has managed to gather 32 Daytime Emmy Awards, and a Peabody Award. “Jeopardy!” also became extremely successful around the world, and inspired many adaptations of its format in such countries as Denmark, Germany, Norway and France to name a few. The show is also constantly featured and parodied in popular culture, including in episodes of “Cheers” with Ted Danson and Shelley Long, “Family Guy” created by Seth MacFarlane, “Saturday Night Live” and “The Golden Girls” starring Bea Arthur, Betty White and Estelle Getty among many others.
In addition to hosting “Jeopardy!”, Alex Trebek is known for presenting such game shows as “To Tell the Truth”, and “Classic Concentration” created by Jack Barry and Dan Enright, as well as “Battlestars” and “Pitfall”.
After he became such a popular game show host with “Jeopardy!”, Trebek has made several appearances in movies and various other types of television series, including “The Larry Sanders Show”, “The X-Files”, “Seinfeld” and “How I Met Your Mother” to name a few. Trebek’s contributions to the television industry have been rewarded with five Emmy Awards and stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Canada’s Walk of Fame.
In his personal life, Alex was married to businesswoman Elaine Callei from 1974 to ’81. He has been married to Jean Currivan since 1990, a New York real estate manager; they have a son and a daughter. He became a US citizen in 1998.
