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Who Is Alex Trebek?
Alex Trebek is a famous US-Canadian TV personality, actor, and game show host who has a net worth of $80 million. He is the host of Jeopardy! ever since the game show’s revival in 1984.
He also has hosted other shows, including To Tell the Truth, Classic Concentration, Battlestars, High Rollers, Double Dare, and the Wizard of Odds. Other than that, he has appeared in television programs as himself. In 1998, Trebek became a naturalized US citizen.
Personal Details
Celebrity Name: Alex Trebek
Full Name: George Alexander Trebek OC
Gender: Male
Birth Date: July 22, 1940
Birth Place: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Age: 80
Height: 1.73m
Weight: 68 kilos
Nationality: Canadian, American
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Status: Married
Wife: Elaine Callei Trebek, married from 1974 to 1981; Jean Currivan Trebek, married since 1990
Children: Matthew Trebek, Emily Trebek
Profession: Television personality, actor, and game show host
Net Worth: $80 million
Early Life
George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, to parents George Trebek and Lucille Lagace. His father is a chef who migrated from Ukraine when he was young. He grew up in a French-Ontarian family. When he was only 13, he already began working as a bellhop at the hotel where his father was working.
Trebek went to Sudbury High School and then enrolled in the University of Ottawa, where he graduated with a degree in philosophy. While he was at the university, he was a member of the English Debating Society. He was already interested at that time to pursue a career in broadcasting news. And even before he finished his degree, he already worked for CBC in 1961.
According to him, he was studying in the day and working hard at night. Eventually, his position in his work moved up. He read national news and also cover various events for the television and radio divisions of CBC, such as horse racing and curling.
Personal Life
In 1974, Alex Trebek and Elaine Callei got married. She was a businessman and the couple did not have any children. In 1981, the two got a divorce. In 1990, he remarried and tied the knot with Jean Currivan, a real estate manager from New York. The couple has two children named Emily and Matthew.
In 1998, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He used to own and manage a 700-acre ranch called the Creston Farms. It is located near Paso Robles, California. There, he bred and trained racehorses. However, he sold it in 2008 and the property is now called Windfall Farms.
In 2018, he stated in an interview that he is politically moderate and is neither liberal nor conservative. He also stated that he believes in God and that he was raised as a Catholic during his early and teen years.
Alex Trebek Career
Trebek’s career started when he worked for the CBC when he was still studying at the university. In 1966, his career as a game show host debuted when he became the host of Reach for the Top. Since then, he has hosted numerous shows, including Jackpot, High Rollers, Battlestars, and The Wizard of Odds. Unfortunately, some of these shows did not last long and got canceled.
His career went up again when he was chosen as the host of Jeopardy! This game show came back in 1984 and ever since then, Trebek was its host. He will continue to host the game show until 2022.
In 1987, while he continues to host for Jeopardy!, Trebek went back to daytime shows and hosted Classic Concentration from NBC. He hosted this show until its final episode in September 1991.
Other shows that he have hosted while still in Jeopardy! include, Pillsbury Bake-off, Good Morning America, and Wheel of Fortune.
Aside from hosting, Trebek also appears in TV programs. He was a guest star of The X-Files, How I Met Your Mother, and Hot in Cleveland. He was also part of the 2005 Celebrity Poker Showdown. Furthermore, he has numerous commercials, including Colonial Penn Life Insurance and a 2010 advertisement for Direct TV.
Alex Trebek Awards and Achievements
Here are some of the awards and honors that Alex Treber received during his career:
- 1997 honorary degree of Doctor of University from the University of Ottawa
- In 2006, he received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame
- 7 Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards (2020, 2019, 2008, 2006, 2003, 1990, and 1989)
- Included in the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2010 Royal Canadian Geographical Society Gold Medal
- 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards
- 2011 Honorary Doctorate from Fordham University
- Held a Guinness World Record for the “most gameshow episodes hosted by the same presenter”
- Named as the Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2016
- Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017
- 2019 Americanism Award
Alex Trebek Total Net Worth
To date, Alex Trebek has an estimated net worth of $80 million. His fortune mostly came from his career as a host and actor. He has been the host of Jeopardy! Since the 1980s and is believed to have a contract that he will continue to host until 2022. He also sold his 700-acre property, which also contributed to his net worth.
