Pat Sajak net worth is estimated to be around $75 million as of 2024. Pat Sajak is an American consultant and former TV personality born October 26, 1946. He is best known for hosting the game show “Wheel of Fortune” from 1981 to 2024. Sajak now serves as a consultant for the show.
During his time as host, he earned 19 Daytime Emmy nominations winning three times. In 2019, Guinness World Records recognized him for having the longest career as a game show host for the same show surpassing Bob Barker.
Outside of “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak appeared in films like “Airplane II: The Sequel TV” series like “Days of Our Lives,” and “Rugrats” and hosted a late-night talk show on CBS from 1989 to 1990. He also frequently guest-hosted on CNN’s “Larry King Live” and Live with Regis and Kelly.
Sajak has been active in other fields too serving as an external director for Eagle Publishing writing for National Review Online and Ricochet.co and creating puzzle games like “Lucky Letters.”
As of 2021, Sajak is credited as a Consulting Producer of “Wheel of Fortune” and co-hosts Prime Time Celebrity “Wheel of Fortune” on ABC with Vanna White.
Pat Sajak in Brief
| Full Name | Patrick Leonard Sajdak |
| Date of Birth | October 26, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Television Host, Former Weatherman |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) |
| Spouse | Lesly Brown (m. 1989) |
| Children | Patrick Michael James Sajak, Maggie Marie Sajak |
| Net Worth | $75 million |
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What is Pat Sajak Net Worth in 2024?
Pat Sajak is an American consultant and former TV personality with a net worth of $75 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Pat Sajak’s main source of net worth comes from his long-running career as the host of the TV game show “Wheel of Fortune.”
He started hosting the show in 1981, and it has been a significant part of his income for decades.
In addition to his hosting duties, Sajak has also earned money through other television appearances, acting roles, and various business ventures. His successful entertainment career, especially “Wheel of Fortune,” has made him quite wealthy.
Pat Sajak’s Early Life and Education
Born in Chicago Illinois on October 26, 1946, Pat Sajak graduated from Farragut High School in 1964. He then attended Columbia College Chicago while working as a desk clerk at The Palmer House Hilton.
Sajak whose original Polish surname was Sajdak changed it to Sajak to make it sound more American.
During the Vietnam War, Sajak served in the U.S. Army as a disc jockey for the American Forces Vietnam Network. He hosted the Dawn Buster radio show continuing the tradition of signing on with “Good Morning Vietnam!” for 14 months a nod to Adrian Cronauer.
Pat Sajak’s Career
Pat Sajak’s journey to becoming an iconic television host started when he won a teen DJ contest on WLS radio’s Dick Biondi Show. While studying at Columbia College Chicago his broadcasting instructor pointed him to a job at a local radio station WEDC where he worked the midnight shift.
In 1968, Sajak joined the U.S. Army and served as a disc jockey in Vietnam on Armed Forces Radio. He once accidentally cut off President Nixon’s Christmas broadcast to the troops and chose not to resume it after realizing the mistake.
In the early 1970s, Sajak worked as a DJ at WSM in Nashville where he also began appearing on the station’s television counterpart WSM-TV as a weatherman. His work caught the attention of KNBC-TV in Los Angeles and in 1977 he became their full-time weather reporter.
In 1981, Merv Griffin offered Sajak the job of hosting “Wheel of Fortune.” NBC’s president initially rejected the idea claiming Sajak was too local but after a change in leadership, Sajak got the role.
He hosted both the daytime and evening versions of the show until 1989 continuing with the evening version until 2024. Sajak became the longest-running game show host surpassing Bob Barker of “The Price Is Right.”
Aside from “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak tried his hand at acting appearing as a newscaster in the 1982 film “Airplane II: The Sequel.” He also hosted a short-lived late-night talk show on CBS from 1989 to 1990.
Sajak frequently guest-hosted on CNN’s Larry King Live and was a regular substitute for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly. He also hosted “Pat Sajak Weekend” on Fox News in 2003 and a syndicated radio sports talk show called “The Pat Sajak Baseball Hour.”
Sajak has been active outside of broadcasting as well. He serves on the board of directors for the conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing and is the chair of Hillsdale College’s board of trustees. He has also written for National Review Online and contributed to the sociopolitical website Ricochet.com.
Sajak has appeared on various game shows and TV programs over the years including “Days of Our Lives Rugrats” and “The King of Queens.”
He even pulled an April Fool’s prank on “Wheel of Fortune” fans by switching roles with Alex Trebek the host of Jeopardy!.
Sajak created several puzzle games with his first and most famous being “Lucky Letters” in 2007. Since 2020 he has served as a Consulting Producer on “Wheel of Fortune” and co-hosted Primetime Celebrity “Wheel of Fortune” on ABC alongside Vanna White.
In June 2023, Sajak announced his retirement from “Wheel of Fortune” after its 41st season. His final episode aired in June 2024.
Despite stepping down he will continue as a consultant for the show and remain the chair of Hillsdale College’s board of trustees. He will also continue hosting Celebrity “Wheel of Fortune.”
Pat Sajak’s Personal Life
Pat Sajak is married to Lesly Brown-Sajak a photographer. They have two children: Patrick a doctor who earned his degree in 2021 and Maggie a social correspondent for “Wheel of Fortune.” The family lives in Severna Park Maryland with a second home in Los Angeles.
Sajak narrates a short film at George Washington’s Mount Vernon guiding visitors through the site’s attractions. He also owned a Maryland AM radio station WNAV from 1998 until 2021.
Politics
In politics, Sajak is a Republican who has written for the conservative magazine Human Events and contributes to the blog Ricochet.com. He financially supports the Young America Foundation which promotes conservative speakers on college campuses.
Despite his political views, Sajak kept politics out of his role on “Wheel of Fortune” emphasizing that the show focused only on the game.
Sports
In sports, Sajak invested in the Golden Baseball League in 2005 and has called some baseball games. He is also a devoted Washington Capitals fan holding season tickets and making an on-ice appearance during the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals.
Health
Regarding his health, Sajak underwent emergency surgery in November 2019 to remove an intestinal blockage. During his recovery, Vanna White took over his hosting duties on “Wheel of Fortune” with his daughter Maggie assisting for a week. Sajak returned to the show in December 2019.
Pat Sajak’s Legacy
In the mid-1970s while working as a meteorologist at WSMV Pat Sajak’s on-air quip about “daytime highs and nighttime lows” inspired songwriter Ben Peters to create “Daytime Friends.” This song became a number-one hit for Kenny Rogers in 1977.
Sajak’s popularity led to parodies and tributes in pop culture. In the 1980s, a Sesame Street sketch featured a Muppet named Pat Playjacks hosting “Squeal of Fortune” where contestants guessed how many times a pig would squeal before the wheel stopped.
Around the same time comedian Martin Short often portrayed a character named Ed Grimley on shows like SCTV and “Saturday Night Live.” Grimley was obsessed with Sajak and other pop culture figures.
In 1986, Sajak and his “Wheel of Fortune” co-star Vanna White appeared as themselves in an episode of the NBC sitcom 227. They also made a cameo in a fourth-season episode of The A-Team called “Wheel of Fortune” where Murdock wins big on the game show thanks to a letter-guessing system devised by his friend Face.
Sajak continued to make guest appearances on TV in the early 1990s. In 1992, he played a psychologist named Brian Brandon in an episode of The Commish titled “The Two Faces of Ed.”
In 2014, Sajak was featured in an episode of Comedy Central’s Brickleberry where his character is kidnapped and forced into a twisted version of “Wheel of Fortune” by a park ranger with an unhealthy obsession with the show.
Pat Sajak Real Estate
In June 1988, Pat bought a big house in Encino, LA, for $1.895 million. This house has 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. It is nearly 7,000 square feet and sits on 3.9 acres of land. Today, it is worth about $7 to $10 million.
Later, in 1991, Pat and Lesly spent $1.275 million on a waterfront property in Severna Park, Maryland. They built a large mansion that is 6,500 square feet and sits on 3 acres.
