How Jamie Ding Plans to Spend His ‘Jeopardy!’ Earnings

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What does one person do with nearly $800,000? Jamie Ding is a good person to ask. The Jeopardy! super champion has won 29 games and $793,602, as of April 22. So, what will he do with that money, plus more, if he keeps winning?

“There are some causes I would like to support,” Ding, from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, told People. “Some organizations could really use the money because the federal government is making so many cuts and things are getting so expensive, and it’s a tough time out there for so many people.”

Ding knows all about government funding as he introduces himself as a bureaucrat. He has worked at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency since 2021 and is considered a government worker. The game show champion started out as a policy and programs analyst and is currently a multifamily and tax credit program administrator.

“I haven’t committed to anything definitive yet, but it’s tough out there for immigrants. I’ve always wanted to be doing good things for others, and now I’ll have significantly more power to do that,” he continued. Ding is a child of two Chinese immigrants. He was born in Australia, grew up in China, and then moved to America, where he has relocated a few times.

The part-time law student told the publication that as a person of color and immigrant, he is happy to make history at “an American Institution.” “Jeopardy! really is an institution, and America’s turning 250 years old, and the federal government is going after immigrants in a way unlike anything that we’ve seen in the recent past,” he said. “So I hope that immigrants can be seen in a positive light, too.”

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However, he did say he will splurge a little bit on himself. “I’d like to buy more orange things! Like maybe a fancy orange watch,” Ding told People. The contestant told host Ken Jennings that orange is his favorite color, and he has worn orange clothing or accessories in every episode so far.

“But ironically, even though I work for a housing agency, I’m not sure if I want to buy a house. There’s a lot of work that goes into that!” he admitted.

Ding will try to win his 30th game on April 23 and surpass $800,000. He already ranks in the top five contestants for consecutive games won and highest winning in regular game play, and number eight overall, including tournaments.

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