With his 21st win in a row, [James] Holzhauer has the second-longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history, putting him ahead of Julia Collins, who won 20 games in a row in 2014… Holzhauer won $80,615 in Thursday’s game, bringing his total winnings to about $1.6 million, according to Jeopardy!’s results. — TIME, 5/3/19
Dear Mr. Holzhauer,
As the producers of Jeopardy!, let us just be the first to congratulate you on your incredible winning streak. Over the past few weeks, you have won a staggering $1.6 million from our humble television quiz show.
And we have nothing but the utmost respect for you and your incredible intellect.
However, before you get around to winning your next $1.6 million, we here at Jeopardy! would just like to take this time to give you a somewhat (how should we put it) tantalizing counter-offer:
We will give you one night with Alex Trebek, no questions asked, if you JUST. STOP. WINNING.
That’s right, Mr. Holzhauer. It’s that simple.
Throw the game and we will make your wildest dreams come true.
Look. Mr. Holzhauer, as the producers of Jeopardy!, we like to pride ourselves in our knowledge of interesting and noteworthy facts. We know, for example, that the surface area of Swaziland is 6,703 square miles. And we know that the Magna Carta was signed a staggering 804 years ago!
We also know that, according to recent budget projections, if you continue to win Jeopardy! at the pace that you’ve been going, we will be forced to declare bankruptcy in a month’s time. Maybe less.
Either way, our accountants are getting pretty darn worried.
So with that in mind, we here at Jeopardy! have decided that, if you throw the next game, we will give you one night, all expenses paid, in the world-famous Jeopardy! Pleasure Lounge.
While there, you will have full-access to our impeccable twenty-person wait staff (who can only address you in the form of a question). You will be fed a succulent, five-star lobster dinner (as prepared by Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings). And your decadent queen-sized bed will have only the finest sheets, all made out of luxurious, Jeopardy!-blue, 100% Egyptian cotton.
Oh, right.
And Alex will be there too.
Can’t forget about that, can we?
Now obviously, by this point in the letter, we bet you’re probably thinking, “But wait… what exactly can/will happen in the Jeopardy! Pleasure Lounge? Are there rules? Are there limits? Is anything on or off the table?”
Look James. As we said before, we here at Jeopardy! know a lot of things, but when it comes to this… we don’t wanna know!
That’s right. For the first time in Jeopardy! history, there will be no questions asked.
And we think that that’s a pretty good deal.
In summation and in conclusion, Mr. Holzhauer, we recognize that your accomplishments in the world of quiz show competing are tantamount to none. But while we appreciate your sheer gumption, we just want you to remember: If you ever want to win the one prize on Earth more valuable than money, then you know what to do!
Or to put it in a way that you’re more likely to understand:
We trust that you will make the sensible decision.
All the best,
The Executive Producers of Jeopardy!
