Biggest prizes in game show history as Squid Game jackpot nearly doubles previous record

Squid Game: The Challenge's staggering $4.56 million jackpot is believed to be the biggest single cash prize in TV history, but there have been plenty of huge payouts leading up to Netflix's highly anticipated game show.

09:19 ET, Wed, Nov 22, 2023 | UPDATED: 09:19 ET, Wed, Nov 22, 2023

Squid Game: The Challenge clip teases mother-and-son duo

Squid Game: The Challenge has released the first five episodes for fans to get stuck into on Netflix today, based on the hit South Korean drama from 2021.

In the chaotic game show, 456 contestants will compete for the chance of winning an incredible prize of $4.56 million.

It’s believed to be the biggest single cash prize in TV show history, and just one lucky winner is expected to walk away with the life-changing sum.

But, has any prize in TV history come close to the millions at stake in Squid Game? Daily Express US has the answers.

Ken Jennings Squid Game

Biggest prizes in game show history as Squid Game players compete for $4.56m (Image: GETTY/NETFLIX)

The Million Second Quiz

Netflix’s jaw-dropping prize breaks the previous record of biggest single cash payout by nearly double.

In 2013, quiz fanatic Andrew Kravis managed to take home an incredible $2,600,000 after beating his opponent Brandon Saunders in the Million Second Quiz.

He’s currently still the highest-earning regular season contestant on a single American game show - until Squid Game’s winner is announced.

However, Kravis is only fourth on the list of highest-earners overall, with smaller wins on Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire still unable to crack the top three.

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Andrew Kravis

Andrew Kravis holds the single prize record with a $2,600,000 jackpot (Image: GETTY)

Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! contestant James Holzhauer came close to Kravis’ single prize record when he was awarded $2,464,216 in his 33-episode run on the hit game show.

Somehow not satisfied with nearly $2 and a half million, he later returned to the podiums for the 2019 Tournament of Champions, Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time tournament and this year’s Jeopardy! Masters tournament.

He won $250,000 apiece in the first two competitions and a staggering $500,000 in the Masters tournament.

An incredible $58,333.33 win on The Chase takes his grand total up to $3,522,549.

Squid Game The Challenge

Squid Game: The Challenge puts a staggering $4.56 million prize on the line (Image: NETFLIX)

Fellow Jeopardy contestant Brad Rutter comes second on the leaderboard with a total of $5,038,436 from various appearances on the game show.

But, it’s current Jeopardy! co-host Ken Jennings who takes the crown for the highest-earning game show contestant of all time.

His US record-breaking single prize of $2,522,700 was won after his original 75-episode run, though was later broken by Kravis on Million Second Quiz.

However, Jennings subsequently went on to nearly double that amount, taking home $4,522,700 from Jeopardy! alone.

He has also won big on Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Grand Slam, and other quiz shows, taking his prize total up to $5,296,214.

Squid Game: The Challenge is available on Netflix.