Lieutenant Frank Spangenberg (born July 26, 1957) garnered fame in 1990 when he set the five-day cumulative winnings record on the game show Jeopardy!, becoming the first person to win more than $100,000 in five days on the show.[1] He has been called one of the "veritable legends" of the show.[2]
Spangenberg, at the time a member of the New York City Transit Police Department (now the Transit Bureau of the New York City Police Department), won $102,597 in five days. On his fifth and final appearance, he set a one-day record of $30,600. Prior to 2003, winners were retired after five consecutive victories and due to a winnings cap in place on Jeopardy! at the time, Spangenberg was only able to keep $75,000 of his total winnings; he donated the remaining $27,597 to the Gift of Love Hospice, a facility operated by the Missionaries of Charity.
Shortly after he won his first five games in 1990, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and played the Jeopardy! home game on the show with Dave. He would also later appear on its successor program The Late Show as a member of the New York City Transit Department choir.
Spangenberg also won Jeopardy!'s Tenth Anniversary Tournament in 1993, winning $41,800,[3] and earlier appeared in the 1990 Tournament of Champions (winning $5,000 for being a semifinalist) and Super Jeopardy! (winning $5,000 for being a quarterfinalist), then later in the 2002 Jeopardy! Million Dollar Masters (winning $10,000 for being a quarterfinalist) and 2005 Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions tournaments. He won an additional $105,199 in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, which, when combined with his original appearances and other tournament winnings, increased his grand total to $259,596.
In 2007, Spangenberg was one of sixteen former game show contestants invited to participate in GSN's Grand Slam tournament. Seeded twelfth in the tournament, Spangenberg was matched up with former United States Navy officer David Legler, who had won a then-record setting $1.765 million on Twenty One in 2000. Spangenberg only won one of the three rounds of play against Legler and lost after his allotted time ran out.
| Preceded by Brian Wangsgard |
Biggest Jeopardy! winners by season 1989-1990 |
Succeeded by Mark Born |
| Preceded by Garrett Simpson |
Biggest one-day winners on Jeopardy! by season 1989-1990 |
Succeeded by Mark Born |
| Preceded by Bob Blake $82,501 |
Biggest Jeopardy! regular play winnings leader 1990-2003 $102,597 |
Succeeded by Brian Weikle $149,200 |
| Preceded by Kevin Frear and Bob Blake $27,800 1988 and 1989 |
Biggest one-day winner on Jeopardy! $30,600 1990-1992 |
Succeeded by Jerome Vered $34,000 1992 |
| Preceded by Bruce Seymour Super Jeopardy! |
Best of the best Jeopardy! Tournament winner 1993 Tenth Anniversary Tournament |
Succeeded by Brad Rutter Million Dollar Masters |