‘Jeopardy!’ Champion TJ Fisher Speaks Out After Winning $100,000 on Show

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TJ Fisher took home $100, 723 during his week reign on Jeopardy!, which ended on October 9.  He also qualified for an upcoming Tournament of Champions. Now he is speaking out about his time on the game show after his winning streak.

Fisher, a marketing specialist from San Francisco, California, has watched Jeopardy! since he was a child. It took him 10 years to get on the show, and it turned out better than he could have imagined.

“I was so shocked, I couldn’t handle it,” Fisher told The San Francisco Chronicle. “My principal goals were not to say anything that would embarrass my mother and her women’s group, or fall off the stage.”

He revealed that he is finally debt-free for the first time since he went to college, due to his winnings. “It’s really thrilling,” he told the publication.

Now that Fisher got rid of his debt, he can follow his passions and help others out with his winnings. He wants to reopen the 88-year-old movie theater, Albany Twin Theater, which closed in 2023. He explained on the game show that he wanted to help save the local theater because he would go there for trivia nights and events when he was younger.

Fisher and his friends, who include former Jeopardy! contestants — Aubrey Gilleran, who placed second in 2023, Danielle Maurer, a three-game winner from Atlanta, Georgia, and T.J. Tallie, a two-time winner, from San Diego, California — organized a non-profit organization called Friends of the Albany Twin before his time on the show.

“It just felt like a little slice of a great community,” Fisher said. “It’s so important to have a space where you can come and assemble with people and learn about the world around you.”

Fisher went to the theater to study trivia with the former contestants, who also gave him tips for being on Jeopardy!. “They all gave me really helpful advice about the game theory aspects,” he said. “Friendship with some of these folks is more valuable than any study tip they could have given me.”

The champion shared that he is still studying and “keeping his flashcards near him” for the Tournament of Champions, where he will compete against fellow Bay Area contestant, W. Kamau Bell, who won Season 3 of Celebrity Jeopardy!.

Other Bay Area champions include Amy Schneider, Hannah Wilson, and Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant Margaret Cho.

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