Brad Rutter is considered the best Jeopardy! player of all time, having won over $5 million. By 2020, he had not lost a single Jeopardy! tournament and had competed in several major events over the years.
While most people are lucky to win a single competition, Brad Rutter has built his reputation through repeated success on Jeopardy! and has earned the most money of any contestant from the show.
The Brad Rutter Story
Brad Rutter was born in 1978 and attended Manheim Township High School in Pennsylvania.
In 1994, he competed with the school’s Quiz Bowl team, placing second in the Texaco Star National Academic Championship. He was later named to the National Academic Championship Hall of Fame.
Rutter has described himself as a slacker during high school and eventually dropped out of Johns Hopkins University.
Before appearing on Jeopardy!, he worked at Lancaster Coconuts, a local store. In 2005, after achieving fame, he announced a scholarship fund in honor of his high school quiz bowl teacher, Anne Clouser.
Brad Rutter’s Jeopardy! Journey
Brad made his first Jeopardy! appearance in October 2000, where he retired undefeated with $55,000 in winnings and was awarded two Chevrolet cars. In 2001, he returned for Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, winning $100,000.
In subsequent years, he participated in Jeopardy! Million Dollar Masters Tournament and won a million dollars, becoming the largest prize money winner in Jeopardy! history at that time.
In 2014, Brad competed on Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades, winning $1,000,000 in a competition featuring champions from the 1990s. In 2019, he joined former champions for Jeopardy! All-Stars and together they split a $1,000,000 prize.
In 2020, he competed on Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time Tournament but did not win, and later lost in the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament.
Other Game Shows
Brad Rutter has participated in other game shows, including the World Quizzing Championship, 1 vs. 100, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, among others.
Is Brad Rutter the best Jeopardy! Player of all time?
With such an impressive history, the question of his legacy arises. Although Brad Rutter did not win the 2020 Greatest of All Time Tournament, he remains the top money winner in Jeopardy! history, with over $5 million earned from various tournaments.
About Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is a game show that airs on American television. It is a quiz game show that requires contestants to phrase their answers as questions after receiving several clues from the show host.
Jeopardy! first aired in 1964 and has been on air with few changes ever since. Its most memorable host was Alex Trebek.
He hosted the show from 1984 until his death in 2020. If you have not seen Jeopardy! Do check it out and see whether you can beat the contestants.