Naperville Native Shatters 'Jeopardy' Record For Daily Winnings

NAPERVILLE, IL -- "Jeopardy" has been on the air for more than 50 years and on Tuesday, a Naperville set a record by winning the highest amount in a single day. James Holzhauer, who graduated from Naperville North in 2001, took home $110,914 Tuesday, bringing his three-day total to $244, 365, Chicago Tribune reports.

Holzhauer, who currently lives in Las Vegas but still has family in Naperville, had a clear lead going into the "Final Jeopardy" round of Tuesday's game. With a total of $72,600 in daily winnings, Holzhauer could have handily won the game even if he didn't risk a cent.

The contestant with the next largest amount of winnings had just $7,000 in their coffers.

So, why did Holzhauer put such a large and specific amount, $38,314, on the line in the final round?

According to Chicago Tribune, Holzhauer's bid, which took his winnings to $110,914 was much more than he needed to break the previous record of $77,000 set by Roger Craig in 2010.

So what was the inspiration for Holzhauer's wager? It was an homage to his daughter, who was born on Nov. 9, 2014.

More via Chicago Tribune