Kenneth Wayne Jennings III was born on the 23rd of May 1974, in Edmonds, Washington. He grew up overseas for eleven years starting from first grade, living in South Korea before moving to Singapore.
Ken Jennings won 74 consecutive games earning a total of $2,522,700. His winning streak ended on the 30th of November 2004 when he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg.
Brad Rutter defeated Ken Jennings and Jerome Vered in the final round of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions held in 2005. Jennings finished second place and won $500,000 while Rutter became the highest overall money winner on game shows at that time.
Ken Jennings became the permanent sole host of Jeopardy! starting with season 40 after strikes resolved. He previously hosted daily syndicated programs alongside Mayim Bialik until she withdrew due to labor disputes on the 11th of May 2023.
Ken Jennings wrote Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs which appeared in 2006. He also published Maphead, Because I Said So!, Planet Funny, and five children's books for the Junior Genius Guides series.