Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider won well over a million dollars before her winning streak reached its conclusion on Jan. 26, and now she gets to spend some of that money.
After winning $1,382,800 over the course of 40 games on the iconic game show, Schneider is taking off to travel abroad. And she’s bringing her partner with her.
“Travel is definitely a part of the plan,” Schneider told the New York Post. “I mentioned on the show that we wanted to go to Ireland, and while we’re still finalizing it, it’s looking like we’ll be there for St. Patrick’s Day.”
Schneider and her partner, Genevieve Davis, are also squirreling some of the money away “for a potential down payment on a house,” she said. And Schneider, who lives in Oakland, will likely need a significant chunk of that money if she wants to choose a Bay Area house.
But that’s not all. The money is also going toward smaller items: “We’re doing some fun shopping in the meantime,” Schneider shared. “No big ticket items, but I’m refreshing my wardrobe, things like that.”
Jeopardy! Has Brought Some Major Opportunities for Schneider
Schneider, who says she’s mulling writing a book, is not exactly anxious to get back to her day job. And right now, she doesn’t need to be. She’s fielding phone calls from agents – Creative Arts Agency (CAA) now represents her – and gauging interest in her potential book.
“There has definitely been a lot of interest in my writing a book, and it’s something I’d love to do,” Schneider told the Post. “My main focus right now is figuring out what exactly that book might look like. There are a lot of things I’m passionate about so it’s a matter of narrowing all my ideas down into a coherent book. So, nothing concrete yet, but it’s something I hope to make happen.”
Schneider confessed that she thought she’d be more ready to go back to her 9-to-5 than she has been since her winning streak on Jeopardy!. It turns out her day job just can’t compete with CAA.
“I also am having a lot of meetings with my agents, which is such a weird thing to hear myself say, but it’s true,” Schneider added. “I signed with CAA and they’re, you know, excited about all kinds of different things.”
Schneider Is Currently on Leave from Her Job
Schneider, who works as a software engineer for her day job, revealed on a recent Q&A with the New York Times that she’s taken a leave of absence from her job to go on vacation with her partner.
“We went to this really fancy, boutique hotel in Half Moon Bay, California, last Saturday night, specifically for its giant bathtubs,” Schneider told the Times.
What she’ll do when her vacation time is up remains to be seen. But in the meantime, given her reluctance to return to work, Schneider might be well-advised to milk her Jeopardy! fame for all it’s worth. And in fact, her Jeopardy! saga is not over yet; before long, Schneider will be competing in the Tournament of Champions against the likes of Andrew He and Matt Amodio. Jeopardy! fans everywhere will be at the edge of their seats.