For almost 35 years Vanna White has become synonymous with the syndicated game show, Wheel of Fortune. Alongside the host, Pat Sajak, the game show has been the source of money to winners of the letters revealing game. But, this show wasn’t the first time White was seen on the screens; she made appearances in shows like Price is Right, not as a presenter but as a contestant. With such longevity in the TV show industry, one would expect that Vanna White net worth is gargantuan. Whether or not this is true, this article explains it all.
Quick Facts About Vanna White
- Name: Vanna Marie White
- Birthday: February 18, 1957
- Birthplace: North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America
- Marital Status: Married
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
Who is Vanna White?
Vanna Marie White was born in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Joan Marie Nicholas and Miguel Angel Rosich. She was born on February 18, 1957. Unfortunately, her parents divorced when was still an infant. Her mother, Joan remarried Herbert White Jr., while still in South Carolina. White took her name after her stepfather.
White’s high school education is not known but after moving to Atlanta, Georgia, she attended The Atlanta School of Fashion and Design. White started out as a model before you went fully into what she does today. After a while at the school of design, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. However, an unpleasant circumstance happened. White received a call that her mother was dying of ovarian cancer.
Vanna White’s Model Journey
Vanna White’s First appearance on TV came in 1980. However, before that, she had competed for Miss Georgi’s USA in 1978. Her modelling journey didn’t last for too long as she found herself contesting for the famous TV game show, The Price is Right.
White’s First Appearance on TV
Her first appearance was in a game show on June 20, 1980, in one of the episodes of The Price is Right. White was one of the first four contestants. Even though she didn’t make it on stage, it was from this point, Vanna White knew that the TV shows were for her.
Is Vanna White an Actress?
While she isn’t really an actress, Vanna White has made cameo appearances in some movies including Looker, the horror film Graduation Day, a movie produced by Troma Entertainment. All of these appearances contributed to the early rise of Vanna White net worth.
Not only had she made appearances in movies, but she also made several appearances on TV shows like Double Dragon, The King of Queens, Full House, Super Mario Bros, Simon and Simon, L.A. Law, among many others.
Vanna White’s Personal Life
White was first engaged to Playgirl dancer-cum-actor, John Gibson in 1980. However, in a tragic event that changed the life of Vanna White, Gibson was involved in a plane crash in 1986. Four years later, White found love again and married George Santo Pietro in December. White later had a miscarriage in 1992. Two years later, she had her first son Nicholas. Then another child, this time a girl, Giovana, was born in 1997. However, after 12 years of marriage, White and Pietro hit a snafu. They called off their marriage and divorced. Two years later in 2004, she found love with a California businessman, Michael Kaye. But this also didn’t last as she called off the engagement.
Today, Vanna White is currently married to a contractor, John Donaldson. They met in 2012 and started dating in the same year.
Vanna White and The Wheel of Fortune Journey
After hostess Susan Stafford left the show in October 1982, the mantle fell on Vanna White to carry on the legacy. However, she started out with two other co-hosts, Vicki McCarthy and Summer Bartholomew. Later in the year, White became the permanent hostess.
For years, Vanna White and Pat Sajak were the drivers of one of America’s oldest game shows. In 2019, Sony Pictures Television announced that Vanna would take over the show temporarily as MC pending the time Pat Sajak recovers from the emergency surgery he had to undergo. In December 2019, a month after, Sajak returned to the show. The duo have become familiar with each other for decades. It came as no surprise when the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC was hosted by the stalwarts.
Vanna White Net Worth: Knitting Endorsements
Thanks to White’s grandmother who taught her how to knit when she was five, Vanna has taken this skill to the next level. Arguably, we can say the knitting endorsements are what increased Vanna White net worth aside from her media activities. Interestingly, Vanna had lost interest in crocheting till one day on the Wheel of Fortune set, her pregnant hairdresser was crocheting a baby blanket for herself. From there, her interest in crocheting ignited after asking the hairdresser to help her relearn the skill.
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In no time, she secured a deal with Look Brand Yarns. After being an ambassador for the brand, she opened her like of yarn, Vanna’s Choice.
White Holds a World Record
One thing Vanna White is known for is her constant clapping on the show. On May 24, 2013, White was awarded the Guinness World Record Certificate for being the most frequent clapper. It was estimated that she had clapped an estimated 3,480,864 times. If you do the maths, it means that Vanna White claps 606 times per show. Incredible.
Vanna White Net Worth
Vanna White net worth according to celebritynetworth stands at $70 million. It is estimated that she receives an annual salary of $10 million. This salary cannot be the only source of her wealth as she is also into the “flipping houses” business. Also, she has a very wealthy husband.
Conclusion
One thing for sure is, for what Vanna White net worth is, she worked every of her muscle for it.
