Naperville 'Jeopardy!' Champ Breaks His Own Record For Daily Wins

NAPERVILLE, IL — It's already been established that Naperville native James Holzhauer is a record breaker; he recently made news when he shattered the record for daily winnings on Jeopardy. Now, Holzhauer is making news again: this time for breaking his own record for most money won in a day on Jeopardy.

Holzhauer, a Naperville North grad, won $110,914 in a single game on April 8, shattering the previous record of $77,000 set by Roger Craig in 2010. During Wednesday's game, Holzhauer took home $131,127 to beat the record he set just over a week earlier.

In the Final Jeopardy round, Holzhauer correctly answered, "Who is Atticus Finch?" to the clue, "His first name refers to the ancient district in which you’d find the Greek capital; his surname is a bird." His winnings for the week are now up to $697,787.

When Holzhauer set the initial record with $110,914, he wrote, "Happy Birthday, Booger," a shout-out to his toddler daughter, whose birthday is Nov. 9, 2014.

His most recent record-breaking win of $131,127 may have had a special meaning too.

Holzhauer went into the final round with $71,114, a wide lead over the other contestants. He chose to wager $60,013.

The message Holzhauer wrote alongside his winning answer and record-breaking total of $131,127?

"This is for you, Granny."

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek asked Holzhauer if his Granny was still alive.

Holzhauer looked upward, blew a kiss, and said, "no" just before his history-making wager was revealed.

Watch Holzhauer's winning moment below: