Jerome Vered
Encyclopedia
Jerome Vered is a Studio City, California writer, publicly known for his record-setting success as a contestant on the U.S. television game show
Jeopardy!
and the USC
School of Cinema-Television. He took the Jeopardy test four times (in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990) before being called to the show as an alternate in March 1991. He was not used in any of that day's tapings, but he did return the next year, and became a five-day champion, with winnings totaling $96,801, second to Frank Spangenberg
's $102,597. During that run, he shattered the one-day record for dollar winnings, earning $34,000 in one episode.
After his five-day run, Vered returned for the 1992 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
, finishing in third place and winning $7,500.
In the 2005 Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions
, Vered won five games to advance to a three-game final match against fellow Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings
and Brad Rutter
. Vered finished in third place, earning $250,000. Of the three finalists, he was the only one not to get a bye in the tournament, as Rutter got a bye into the 2nd round and Jennings got a bye into the finals. Behind Rutter and Jennings, respectively, he is the third highest-earning contestant in Jeopardy! history, having won a total of $494,102 in his original five wins, the 1992 Tournament of Champions, and the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.
Although Vered is best-known for his Jeopardy!
prowess, he has also dominated in other quiz-show formats, including Win Ben Stein's Money
, during which he recorded the first-ever sweep, and became the first to take home the full $5,000 of Ben Stein
's money. Vered's game show winnings thus total $501,602.
In 2009, Vered became the first American to crack the top 10 at a World Quizzing Championship
with an 8th place finish.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
Biography
Vered graduated from Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
and the USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Cinema-Television. He took the Jeopardy test four times (in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990) before being called to the show as an alternate in March 1991. He was not used in any of that day's tapings, but he did return the next year, and became a five-day champion, with winnings totaling $96,801, second to Frank Spangenberg
Frank Spangenberg
Lieutenant Frank Spangenberg garnered fame in 1990 when he set the five-day cumulative winnings record on the game show Jeopardy!, becoming the first person to win more than $100,000 in five days on the show...
's $102,597. During that run, he shattered the one-day record for dollar winnings, earning $34,000 in one episode.
After his five-day run, Vered returned for the 1992 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is an annual tournament featuring the longest-running champions from the past season or seasons of the TV quiz show Jeopardy! The tournament began in the show's first season in 1964 during Art Fleming's tenure as host, and continued into the Alex Trebek era of...
, finishing in third place and winning $7,500.
In the 2005 Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions
Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions
The Ultimate Tournament of Champions was a special fifteen-week single-elimination tournament that aired during the twenty-first season of the syndicated game show Jeopardy! that began airing on February 9, 2005 and concluded on May 25, 2005, covering 76 shows in all...
, Vered won five games to advance to a three-game final match against fellow Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings
Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Jennings III is an American game show contestant and author. Jennings is noted for holding the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and as being the all-time leading money winner on American game shows...
and Brad Rutter
Brad Rutter
Bradford Gates "Brad" Rutter is the biggest all-time money winner on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and the second biggest all-time money winner on a game show....
. Vered finished in third place, earning $250,000. Of the three finalists, he was the only one not to get a bye in the tournament, as Rutter got a bye into the 2nd round and Jennings got a bye into the finals. Behind Rutter and Jennings, respectively, he is the third highest-earning contestant in Jeopardy! history, having won a total of $494,102 in his original five wins, the 1992 Tournament of Champions, and the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.
Although Vered is best-known for his Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
prowess, he has also dominated in other quiz-show formats, including Win Ben Stein's Money
Win Ben Stein's Money
Win Ben Stein's Money is an American television game show that ran from July 28, 1997 to January 31, 2003 on the Comedy Central cable network with episodes airing until May 8, 2003. It featured three contestants who competed in a general knowledge quiz contest to win the grand prize of $5,000 from...
, during which he recorded the first-ever sweep, and became the first to take home the full $5,000 of Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
's money. Vered's game show winnings thus total $501,602.
In 2009, Vered became the first American to crack the top 10 at a World Quizzing Championship
World Quizzing Championship
The World Quizzing Championship is an individual quiz contest organised by the International Quizzing Association...
with an 8th place finish.