Report: Vanna White of “Wheel of Fortune” has not received a pay raise in 18 years.
Vanna White has co-hosted Wheel of Fortune since 1982, but according to a recent revelation, she hasn’t gotten a pay bump in nearly 20 years.
Puck made That astounding information public after Pat Sajak, 76, said earlier this month that he would leave television after season 41, which debuts in September. Puck claims that White, 66, has since recruited an “aggressive new lawyer” to obtain a raise as part of continuing talks to extend her contract through the end of the 2023–24 season.
According to various sources cited by Puck’s Matthew Belloni, White presently earns $3 million annually, while Sajak earns five times as much. The site also claimed she had gotten some bonuses; it should be emphasized. Sajak is the show host, and White is a co-host who taps screens to reveal letters on the board (she used to turn them, remember? ), but Puck pointed out that White promotes the game “way more” than Sajak. Concerning Puck’s reporting, Sony opted not to respond.
Wheel of Fortune, which debuted in 1981, is unquestionably associated with White, who joined the program in 1982. Despite having been a part of the show for over 40 years, she has cemented her place in popular culture vocabulary, which is not usually given.
In his 2000 hit song “Ride Wit Me,” Nelly, not Sajak, offered White a shout-out, rapping, “Running credit checks with no shame now / I feel the glory now (come on) / I can’t complain now (anymore) / I’m the guy directly, moving about my town, and Courtney B is sending me pages from New Jersey informing me of a party in NYC and asking if I can make it. Damn right, I’ll be on the following aircraft, flying first class, paying cash, and seated next to Vanna White.
White pays respect to her old coworker when Sajak reveals he will retire after season 41.
“When we first launched @WheelofFortune, who would have thought that 41 seasons later, we’d still be going strong? I’ve enjoyed performing on stage with you for many years and look forward to many more. Greetings, @patsajak. Overwriting Sajak’s initial tweet was White.
It’s still unclear whether White wants to come back in her present position or whether she wants to replace Sajak. Whoopi Goldberg of The View has already entered the race. Although a replacement hasn’t been officially announced, many well-known names, in addition to Goldberg, have surfaced, including Ryan Seacrest, Maggie Sajak, and White.
