Jamie Ding, who grew up in Grosse Pointe Shores and is a Grosse Pointe North alumnus, is on a remarkable run as he goes for his 30th consecutive win on “Jeopardy!” in an episode that airs Thursday night.
Ding’s 29 consecutive wins as of Wednesday brought his total winnings to $793,602.
The streak places him fifth all-time in both victories and earnings, trailing only elite champions like Ken Jennings, Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and James Holzhauer, each of whom surpassed $1.3 million.
Ding’s latest win added $19,001, and he now sits just four victories away from passing Holzhauer for fourth place on the all-time wins list.
Who is “Jeopardy!” champ Jamie Ding and what is his age?
A 2009 graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School, Ding shared trivia during the show about his role on a unique Radio Astronomy Team, highlighting his long-standing academic interests.
Ding’s success has surprised even his family in Grosse Pointe Shores, who always recognized his intelligence but didn’t expect such dominance. His Detroit roots played a role in his confidence on the show, including a key early clue about Belle Isle that helped settle him in.
Now 33, he works as a public housing administrator and part-time law student in New Jersey after earning a molecular biology degree from Princeton University.
Ken Jennings weighs in on Jamie Ding’s “Jeopardy!” win streak
Jennings, the “Jeopardy” all-time champion and host, said he would welcome the possibility of Ding breaking his long-standing Jeopardy! record, joking he’d “eat his hat” and even play along with the idea of being replaced as host if Ding reaches 75 wins. Jennings, who holds the record with 74 straight victories, said he believes the mark can be beaten and hopes to be hosting if it happens.
Here are the top 10 longest win streaks in “Jeopardy!” history
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Jamie Ding of Grosse Pointe pursues ‘Jeopardy!’ history
Reporting by Kevin J. Hardy, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
