Fans Are Split On Vanna White Leveraging Pat Sajak’s ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Departure

Fans Are Split On Vanna White Leveraging Pat Sajak’s ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Departure

Summary

Vanna White’s salary increased after Pat Sajak’s exit from Wheel of Fortune, sparking mixed reactions on social media.
White found success in real estate and other “side gigs,” making her richer than Sajak despite earning less on the show.
Sajak and White earn big from licensing their images for casino slot machines, generating significant income outside of the game show.

Vanna White is said to already be missing the days she co-hosted Wheel of Fortune alongside Pat Sajak, but her colleague’s departure from the long-lasting game show had one distinctive advantage for her: she leveled up in terms of her salary.

Sajak first announced in 2023 that he would finally be leaving his post on Wheel of Fortune, one that he had held since 1984. It was a decision that impacted many, including his daughter Maggie, whose personal life is now the veteran host’s new primary focus.

White has found herself at odds with Sajak’s replacement Ryan Seacrest, who has been described as a “control freak.” On his part, the American Idol host is said to be battling crippling anxiety as he gets ready to step into Sajak’s shoes.

All this is the ripple effect of Sajak’s decision to exit Wheel of Fortune, so how did Vanna White find herself in a position to earn even more in the aftermath?

Vanna White Renegotiated Her Wheel Of Fortune Contract Following Pat Sajak’s Departure

It was June 13, 2023 when Pat Sajak took to the social platform X to announce his decision to leave Wheel of Fortune after the following season ended. “Well, the time has come,” he wrote. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months.”

Contrasting Views From Social Media On Vanna White’s Salary Increase

“Youre trying to tell me all those years Pat Sajak and Vanna White were working together Pat couldn’t have put in a good word for Vanna on that salary increase?” – @RedIsNotAFlavor, X
“It is insane that for over 41 years this woman quite literally gets paid millions to just turn letters for a game show… The dream tbh” – @galaxystars1, Reddit

A Puck News report around the same time revealed that Vanna White was looking for a raise from her salary then. The write-up suggested that the former Miss Georgia had been taking home around $3 million per year from the show.

If this figure is accurate, it would have translated to about $15,000 per episode. There reportedly was a major gap between her and Sajak, however, who is believed to have been earning $15 million per year.

It was this significant difference that White apparently used to leverage a pay hike for herself. Sony Pictures, who produce the series, were not too keen on this, though. The company was reported to have felt that Sajak’s salary was not standard, and therefore wanted to avoid using it as a reference point for White.

In the end, Sony and White settled on an improvement of terms, including for her work on the spin-off show Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

Pat Sajak And Vanna White Had An “Intensely Competitive” Relationship Behind The Scenes On Wheel of Fortune

Pat Sajak and Vanna White enjoyed a very close personal relationship after working together for decades on Wheel of Fortune. Speaking to PEOPLE in December 2022, she said that they shared a strong brother-and-sister bond.”

On set, however, they were said to be “intensely competitive” with each other, which happens in many professional settings without a similar impact on the subjects’ personal connection. In one 2021 episode, for instance, Sajak made a mistake on the show, and White was very quick to call him out on it.

On every Wheel of Fortune episode, the winner tackles a final puzzle alone for a grand prize, guessing letters to reveal the solution. In 2021, Sajak made a surprising blunder during this segment. The contestant faced a two-word puzzle, which appeared rather difficult. Sajak remarked, “Well, I’d rather be standing here than there, quite frankly.”

The finalist failed to solve the puzzle, which was revealed to in fact be “quite frankly,” which Sajak had unwittingly given away. White pointed out the slip, making sure that her co-host didn’t get away with even such a slight misstep.

Pat Sajak Is Worth Tens Of Millions In 2024

Pat Sajak has a net worth of $75 million in 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which might be surprisingly low considering his portfolio of work. His career first began in the 1970s, and would go on to include roles as a weatherman, DJ, and late-night talk show host.

Sajak’s real estate holdings include a luxury home in Severna Park, Maryland, with stunning waterfront views and a property in Los Angeles, reflecting his entertainment industry ties. However, his hosting salary is not his primary income source.

Remarkably, Sajak and his former co-host Vanna White are believed to earn more from licensing their images for casino slot machines than from the game show itself. In 1996, Wheel of Fortune became the first entertainment property licensed for slot machines, initially placed in Las Vegas casinos.

Their success led to global distribution, with these slot machines becoming top revenue generators in many casinos. There are approximately 20,000 “Wheel of Fortune” slot machines worldwide, generating over $1 billion annually in Las Vegas alone and over $2 billion globally.

Vanna White Is Richer Than Pat Sajak Despite Earning Less Than Him On Wheel Of Fortune

Vanna White spent decades in the shadow of Pat Sajak, at least in terms of the money they were earning respectively, as co-hosts of Wheel of Fortune. Even after his departure, and her consequent raise, her income still didn’t match up to what her colleague had been raking in for years.

It might be surprising for some, then, to learn that she is actually said to be worth around $85 million, $10 million more than Sajak. This was also reported by Celebrity Net Worth, according to a March 2024 update.

Sajak and White were both believed to have an income of at least $15 million annually in royalties and fees from the licensing deals with casinos for the game Wheel of Fortune. The small, but crucial detail which makes the latter richer is in the “side gigs” that she has taken on over the years, comparatively.

One field in which White has made a killing is real estate. She has made a fortune from flipping houses, while she also made a Sherman Oaks property she owns available for rent at $20,000-a-month in 2023. With her salary increase following Sajak’s farewell to Wheel of Fortune, she will likely only get richer.