Vanna White Is Worth a ‘Fortune!' Here's How Much the Host Makes on the Longtime Game Show

Vanna White has been a hostess on the 'Wheel of Fortune' since 1982

Vanna White is returning for season 42 of Wheel of Fortune with a new co-host by her side — Ryan Seacrest.

The longtime presenter has been working on the show since 1982, turning the letters while former host Pat Sajak guided contestants as they spun the wheel and guessed the letters of a phrase, hoping to win big. After four decades of hosting the show together, Sajak announced his retirement in June 2023 following the 41st season, which wrapped in June 2024.

In his place, Seacrest was announced as the new host, and Sajak officially passed the torch to the longtime American Idol host in a promotional clip for season 42.

“You're never going to find a better job, and you're never going to find a better co-host,” Sajak told Seacrest, gesturing toward White, who had signed on to stay through the 2025-2026 season in September 2023.

Following Sajak's exit, White reopened negotiations around her salary, with a source telling PEOPLE she was fighting to make as much as Sajak did during his tenure.

So how much does Vanna White make as a host of Wheel of Fortune? Here's everything to know about the hostess' salary and her other business ventures.

How much does Vanna White get paid on Wheel of Fortune?

After Sajak announced his retirement in June 2023, White began negotiations surrounding her own salary and contract. A source told PEOPLE in July 2023 that White was fighting to make as much as Sajak did, if not more, following a TMZ report that White's lawyer asked Sony Pictures Television for 50 percent of Sajak's salary.

"50 percent of Pat's salary is so outrageous that no one in their right mind could say that it’s fair," the source said. "The negotiation is asking for much more than 50 percent of his salary. It's asking for the same pay — if not more."

According to the source, White had been making $3 million a year for 18 years without any pay increases. The hostess last renewed her contract in 2021, signing on for three years through the 2024 season. While reports stated she got paid $100,000 per episode, the source said this was "not correct at all."

"Vanna was told, 'If you fight this, you will lose your job. You're lucky to have the job.' And when people tell you that for so long, you believe it,' " the source said of White's experience throughout her career before adding she was now ready to argue for her salary.

After lengthy negotiations, White signed a deal with Sony in September 2023, extending her contract for an additional two seasons, through the 2025-2026 season, per Deadline. She also previously signed a deal to return as the host of ABC's Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, the outlet reported, which involved a significant salary increase. It is not known exactly how much she makes now.

What has Vanna White said about her salary?

A month after signing her contract, White told PEOPLE she found it difficult reading about her salary negotiations in the media.

“It was because people just have rumors,” she said. “Everything is so blown out of proportion, not just with my stuff, with everybody's stuff.”

White added that she considered herself a "strong person" and didn't let the rumors get to her.

“I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do or that I don't believe in,” the longtime host said. “My mother taught me that at a young age and I'm sticking to my guns.”

What are Vanna White's other business ventures?

In addition to hosting, White has held a number of other positions. She's ventured into real estate, dabbling in flipping houses, and is a spokesperson for yarn company Lion Brand Yarn.

“I’m a businesswoman. You know, I have other investments too, real estate,” White told ABC in 2017. “A long time ago, I would buy a house and flip it. But now everybody does that so I don’t do that anymore because there’s no houses out there to buy.”

White also converted her passion for crocheting into her own line at Lion Brand Yarn, Vanna's Choice Yarn.

"Thirty years ago, I started with Lion Brand Yarn Company as their spokesperson. About 15 years later, they came to me and said, 'How would you feel about having your own line of yarn?' " she told PEOPLE in December 2022.

White continued, "And I said, 'I would love to do that. I would love to do that, but I want to be able to give back. So I'd like to donate some of my proceeds, half of my proceeds actually, to St. Jude.' "

White has also used her role as a host on Wheel of Fortune to explore more opportunities, such as partnering with Laura Geller Beauty on a limited-edition makeup collaboration in October 2023 that featured six Wheel of Fortune-inspired products.

"They brought it to me and asked, 'What do you think of this?' And I absolutely loved it!" White told PEOPLE of the products.

Is Vanna White planning on retiring from Wheel of Fortune?

Though White told PEOPLE in December 2022 she still loved her job greatly even after doing it for 40 years, she admitted in October 2023 that she did consider retiring after Sajak announced he was leaving.

“Of course it's a thought,” White said. “It's like, ‘Well, wait, if you're leaving, what am I going to do? How can I stay without you?’ It was a very hard decision for me to make, because it definitely crossed my mind."

She added, "It's like, ‘I just don't know if I can do this without you,’ but I thought about it and I'm not ready to retire, so I am staying on.”

To that end, White signed her contract through 2026, and told PEOPLE that she was "happy" to enjoy her last season with Sajak at the time and see the show through at least two more seasons.

“I'm just so happy that I have signed for two more years,” she said. “I have this next year with Pat, and then I have two years after that, so I will be part of Wheel of Fortune, at least through 2026.”

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