How Pat Sajak Achieved a Net Worth of $65 Million

Most people are familiar with the name Pat Sajak. He’s a well-known television personality and game show host who is famous for his appearances hosting the Wheel of Fortune. He is worth an incredible $65 million in net wealth. How did he amass such a fortune? Was it from hosting game shows? We looked into his history and successful career and here is what we found

His early days

Pat served in the military when he was a younger man. He joined the army in 1968 and although unwilling, he served his time in Vietnam. There he became a finance clerk while stationed in Long Binh, Vietnam. He wasn’t thrilled with his current occupation. What he really wanted to do was to work for a radio station. He tried to get hired on with a station but was unable to get them to notice his applications. After failing to secure a job in the area of his true passion, he contacted an elected congress member he had formed a connection with and after a few phone calls, he was placed in an army radio station position where he was a lot happier.

He was well-connected and knew how to use this to his advantage. He served as a disc jockey for military radio and the job lasted for about a year and a half. When he returned back to the United States and to civilian life, his firs civilian job was with a small Chicago Spanish radio station. He was given his own show that was broadcast in English and aired from midnight to six in the morning. His audience was limited and the show didn’t do very well because of language differences.

His career

Sajak relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1970s. He had a strong desire to work in the entertainment industry. Upon moving to LA, his first job was as a full time weatherman for KNBC-TV in 1977. He kept his ear to the ground for jobs in entertainment and he was given his first big break in 1983 when Merv Griffin offered him Chuck Woolery’s former job as the host of the game show Wheel of Fortune. It wasn’t a smooth transition because the head of NBC didn’t want Sajak in the position. Griffin held firm and shut down the show until he got his way. Sajak was hired for the job and as they say, the rest is history. He’s been the successful host of the show for 32 years and Pat Sajak has become a household name.

Career achievements

Pat has been awarded three Emmy awards for his contributions to the Wheel of Fortune. He also has his own star on Hollywood’s walk of fame. In addition to hosting the Wheel of Fortune, he’s also made regular contributions to podcasts and blogs as well as hosting a late night talk show of his own from 1989 through 1990.

His personal life

Pat has been married twice and he is the father of two children. His first marriage was in 1979 to his first wife Sherrill. The couple had some problems and divorced in 1986. Three years after his divorce, Pat married his current wife who is Lesly Brown. She’s a professional photographer and the other of their two children Patrick and Marie.

Final thoughts

Pat Sajak hasn’t had an easy life and it was difficult for him to get his career off the ground. He worked hard and put in the time and effort, but short of his stint as a DJ for army radio, nothing has been given to him. He didn’t give up on his dreams and through a lot of hard work and dedication he was finally able to secure the position in the entertainment industry that made him happy. It might have been rough in the beginning, but through perseverance, he ended up where he wanted to be. Pat Sajak is paid about $15 million a year for hosting the Wheel of Fortune, which has ultimately been his bread and butter throughout the years. His current net worth is estimated to be at $65 million. Although he’s made a few wise investments on the side, the lions share of his wealth has been earned through his career as a game show host.