Wheel of Fortune would not be what it is today without Vanna White.
The former pageant queen and actress has been flipping letters on the popular game show since 1982 — just one year less than co-host Pat Sajak. And given Wheel of Fortune's continued success over the years (it's consistently a ratings winner), it should come as no surprise that Vanna collects quite a hefty paycheck. To be exact, sources told People in 2023 that Vanna's salary is set at $3 million a year.
Now, ready for the detail that's really going to blow your mind? Both Vanna and Pat shoot just FOUR days a month (albeit, six shows per day). That means they have roughly 26 days off every month, which is absolute #LifeGoals. But with the recent news of Pat exiting the show in the summer of 2024, there's a chance Vanna's yearly earnings may change.
According to a report from the New York Post, the amount of money Vanna earns for Wheel of Fortune hasn't changed for close to two decades. Puck News further added that she's only received bonuses — not raises — since 2005. Between Pat stepping down from his job, Ryan Seacrest taking over in September 2024 and her contract reportedly being up at the end of the 2023-2024 season, Vanna allegedly will consider leaving if she doesn't make at least half of Pat's reported $15 million yearly salary.
Rest assured though, Wheel of Fortune isn't Vanna's only gig and hobby if this is the case. As she told ABC, she also takes pride in being a real estate investor. And, clearly, she knows what she's doing. In 2017, she listed her Beverly Hills home for $47.5 million.
"I’ve used my income to invest in some apartment buildings, and I like flipping houses," she told Market Watch in 2018.
Apart from that, Vanna is an avid crocheter and even has her own line of yarn called Vanna's Choice.
“My love of yarn began when my grandmother taught me to crochet," Vanna told Craft Yarn Council. "Now, my daughter and I love to shop for yarn and crochet together."
And when she's not crocheting or spending time with her kids Gigi and Niko, she's giving back to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Vanna says she's donated $1.8 million to the program so far and plans to do even more after Wheel of Fortune.
"After I retire, I will probably do something philanthropic," she told Market Watch. "If I could do it [work] forever, I would, because I do love my job."
I mean, who wouldn't?!
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
