Who is Jamie Ding? What to know about the 29-time 'Jeopardy!' winner
Who is Jamie Ding? What to know about the 29-time 'Jeopardy!' winner
John Connolly and Kate Perez, USA TODAYThu, April 23, 2026 at 10:16 PM UTC
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"Jeopardy!" contestant Jamie Ding captured his 29th straight victory on April 22, and now, with millions of viewers cheering him on, he'll try to continue his historic winning streak.
Ding is among the top 10 players in "Jeopardy!" history, currently ranked fifth. "Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings holds the record after reaching 74 wins in 2004. Ding's run on the game show has secured him a spot in the season-ending Tournament of Champions.
The famous "Jeopardy!" competition is a two-week postseason event, during which the highest-performing contestants from the regular season, typically 15 elite players, face off.
As Ding continues his run on the show today, here's what to know about the historic "Jeopardy!" champion.
Local coverage: NJ's Jamie Ding wins 29th straight on 'Jeopardy!' to move up rankings
Fast facts: Who is Jamie Ding?
Jamie Ding, 33, is the current "Jeopardy!" leader and a resident of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, but he's originally from the Detroit area.
While working full-time for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, Ding is also pursuing a law degree from Seton Hall Law School. He is enrolled in the weekend J.D. program.
He graduated from Princeton University in 2013. Ding told his collegiate alma mater that being on the show is "phenomenal," and it has long been a dream of his to "wear orange (and black) on national television." He represents those Princeton colors through his outfits when competing on "Jeopardy!"
"Jeopardy!" contestant Jamie Ding is pictured at the podium while playing.What to know about Ding's family
The "Jeopardy!" champ's father is Dr. Yuchuan Ding, a professor of neurosurgery at Wayne State University in Detroit.
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“I didn’t realize he could go this far, but I think he deserves that because he’s been interested in this kind of knowledge for a long time," Dr. Ding told the university amid his son's winning streak.
And what does Ding's family do for fun? The "Jeopardy!" champion and his sister run an Instagram account called @attorneygeneraltsos where they review General Tso's chicken at various restaurants. Ding talked about it on the show.
"We're you're like 7 years old, General Tso's chicken really stands out to you on the menu, so we've been ordering it for years and eventually we started ordering it at every Chinese restaurant we went to," Ding told viewers.
Additionally, the Ding family recently attended a celebration at the governor's mansion in New Jersey to recognize his "Jeopardy!" achievements. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill personally sent Ding and his family the invite.
Jamie Ding's mother, Ning Yan, told The Detroit News, part of the USA TODAY Network: "Friends, family, everybody, classmates … tell us they are watching. It's very exciting."
Lawmakers show support for Ding
Support for Ding has grown in recent weeks, including from Sherrill, who applauded the "Jeopardy!" champion after he set an impressive feat on the show by winning over 20 consecutive games. Other public officials, including Sen. Andy Kim and Sen. Cory Booker, have congratulated Ding.
"Jamie Ding! Making New Jersey proud! This Lawrenceville resident spends his days helping fund affordable housing across the Garden State, then goes on national TV and dominates," Booker wrote in an X post on April 1. "The man answers trivia on @Jeopardy and houses people for a living. New Jersey does not miss. Keep buzzing, Jamie."
More: Ken Jennings addresses his 'Jeopardy!' future after 'rough transition'
Top 10 'Jeopardy!' consecutive wins
Ding currently ranks in fifth place in terms of consecutive wins, according to Jeopardy.com:
Ken Jennings, 74 games, 2004
Amy Schneider, 40 games, 2022
Matt Amodio, 38 games, 2021
James Holzhauer, 32 games, 2019
Jamie Ding, 29 games, current
Mattea Roach, 23 games, 2022
Cris Pannullo, 21 games, 2022
Julia Collins, 20 games, 2014
Jason Zuffranieri, 19 games, 2019 (TIE)
David Madden, 19 games, 2005 (TIE)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Jamie Ding? What to know about the historic 'Jeopardy!' player
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
