Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider loses after historic 40-game streak and $1.3 million in winnings
Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, Calif., began her winning streak on Nov. 17 and was bested in Wednesday’s Final Jeopardy! by Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago.
After winning 40 games and more than $1.3 million, Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider’s record-breaking reign came to a halt Wednesday night with the second-most consecutive victories in the trivia show’s history.
Schneider, 42, an engineering manager from Oakland, Calif., began her winning streak on Nov. 17 and was bested in Wednesday’s Final Jeopardy! by Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago.
(The clue: “The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an H, it’s also one of the 10 most populous.” The answer: Bangladesh.)
Talsma capped out the night with $29,600, while Schneider netted $19,600. Her total winnings on the show were $1,382,800.
“It’s really been an honor,” Schneider, who has chronicled her game performance on Twitter, said in a statement. “To know that I’m one of the most successful people at a game I’ve loved since I was a kid and to know that I’m a part of its history now, I just don’t know how to process it.”
On Monday, Schneider won her 39th consecutive game, surpassing Matt Amodio’s 38-game winning streak reached in October 2021. Ken Jennings — who is hosting the show this week and has been dubbed “The Greatest of All Time” — still holds the Jeopardy! record, with a 74-game streak from 2004.
» READ MORE: ‘It still feels unreal’: Amy Schneider breaks another ‘Jeopardy!’ record
Earlier this month, Schneider became the first woman to surpass $1 million in winnings on the show. She is also the first transgender person in the show’s 38-season history to qualify for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, airing in the fall.
“I think that the best part for me has been being on TV as my true self, expressing myself and representing the entire community of trans people,” Schneider told Good Morning America this week. “Just being a smart, confident woman and doing something super normal like being on Jeopardy!”
Talsma, the librarian, will now face two new challengers on Thursday’s show.
“I’m still in shock,” he said. “This is my favorite show. … I was so excited to be here and I just wanted to do my best. I did not expect to be facing a 40-day champion, and I was excited to maybe see someone else slay the giant. I just really didn’t think it was going to be me, so I’m thrilled.”