Wheel of Fortune spins up its winnings to a cool million
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Extracurriculars, Wealth
Game show contestants can now spin for a higher prize this season on Wheel of Fortune.In July, Wheel of Fortune increased its Bonus Round winnings from $100,000 to $1,000,000 for the new season that began airing in September.
The first person to win the fatter prize from game show icons Pat Sajak and Vanna White? Michelle Loewenstein, a California resident recently transplanted from New Jersey. She'd just returned from her honeymoon when she was contacted to be on the show.
A Wheel of Fortune fan for years, she said she prepared for her appearance by watching the show every day.
The 24-year-old teacher and floral shop-worker is now a part of Wheel of Fortune History, which includes 16 winners of the $100,000 bonus round. Taxes will be deducted from her winnings, but she's still planning on buying a house with her bounty. And maybe a new car. Or maybe a dog.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
10-23-2008 @ 2:33PM
Chris said...
How can I get on and have a chance. LOL
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10-23-2008 @ 6:49PM
Maya said...
Yeah how do you get on my granpa whould know maybe who knows he likes the show well hi
10-23-2008 @ 2:39PM
Fae said...
I'd do all of the first 3.
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10-23-2008 @ 3:08PM
chris said...
I would do the same as just about everyone else nowadays, pay bills and help family and friends pay theirs.
Christine
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10-23-2008 @ 3:18PM
eva said...
I would pay my bills off, same with my children, pay thier bills off and share, save some for tough times so not to worry if I had enough to buy food and necessities. I would also like to take a vacation.
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10-23-2008 @ 3:32PM
Justin said...
Invwsting in the stock market would be a real good idea. NOT
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10-23-2008 @ 3:50PM
Elijah said...
Actually, now is actually a great time to invest, while everything is at all time lows, if you have the money that is.
10-24-2008 @ 1:37AM
Fred said...
Buy low sell high. Stock Market is low, buy now, later on when the market goes back up, sell high. There are two guarantees in life - the stock market will go up, and the stock market will go down.
10-23-2008 @ 3:41PM
DeeDee said...
First I'd pay my bills which aren't to many..Then I"d pay off my house. I'd take a trip to Ireland and then come home and enjoy no more bills..not even a mortgage payment. Ahh..now that would be heaven...
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10-23-2008 @ 3:42PM
Kenny said...
Living in Las Vegas, I'd go to the casino and put the whole amount on the black roulette table spot. Nah, I'd do what most of the others have posted, pay off bills and help my kids pay theirs. But if I did do that in the casino and lost it, the next gun shot you would hear would be me.....LOL
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10-23-2008 @ 3:56PM
homeofhopa said...
The term "9/11" represents a day of terror that will be remembered for a very long time by Americans.
I propose a new term for what is happening now and that is "10/08"... representing the NEW TERROR of October 2008... maybe lives have not been lost... but certainly livelihoods and savings have been. This terror of 10/08 has had much more far reaching impact, not just in America, but worldwide, in that our futures have been compromised. This is absolutely the start of the war of the "have nots" vs the "haves".
If you are looking for someone to blame for this fiasco... you canNOT blame the poor and the middleclass for this debacle. Blame the clueless, selfish, greedy rich. THEY are certainly not wondering how they are going to manage, not only for the rest of their lives, but this week!
Guaranteed, they are NOT asking themselves... can I pay my mortgage/rent? Can I pay my car payment/gas/insurance? Can I buy meat? How am I going to pay the credit card bill/s that I've been living on?
I find it ironic that gas has dropped 90 cents in the past month. THE ONLY REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS ARE SCARED TO DEATH THAT THEY WILL ALL BE VOTED OUT SO THEY'VE GOTTEN THE OIL COMPANIES TO LOWER THEIR PRICES! IT IS NO COINCIDENCE!
10/08.... the beginning of the REAL terror....
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10-23-2008 @ 4:57PM
Bill said...
Actually, I do blame the poor and middle class, of which I am part. It is because of the fact that we have been living off credit cards that we are in this mess. I understand using them if you have no choice, but our whole economy has been built on the idea of spending money we do not have (credit) to buy stuff that we do not need (cell phones, ipods, game systems, etc). Sooner or later you cannot make the payments. That is a recipe for disaster, and we are just seeing the beginning of the problem if we do not change the way we spend money. The fact is, the poor and most of the middle class should never have been allowed to use credit, at least as extensively as we have. If you had no credit card debt, you would likely not default on your mortgage. If you never bought the house you could not afford, it could not be taken from you.
Stop being angry at the companies that lent you the money and take responsibility for borrowing money you could not pay back.
10-23-2008 @ 4:18PM
Laverne Fischer said...
Finally my husband could retire and enjoy life, he is seventy three years old and still having to work. I would help our families pay their debts and there are many. We would buy a home of our own instead of paying rent to someone else. Take a much needed vacation to a place of beauty like a National Park. I would definitely stay in this country as there are so many beautiful places to see. Why spend money in another country when we have it all right here.
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10-23-2008 @ 7:24PM
Judi said...
I'd send it to Lavern Fischer. What a sweet soul....
10-23-2008 @ 4:23PM
Don said...
I'd buy LOTs n' LOTs n' LOTs of chocolate. That and maybe a truckload of peanut butter.....I don't owe anyone anything so I'd just donate the last ten bucks of so to something really worthwhile..
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10-23-2008 @ 4:25PM
harris said...
Lets not forget ,its a few Democrats who got us into this mess in the first place , they knew this would happen ,, then they could blame the Republicans at election time
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10-23-2008 @ 4:45PM
juscus said...
i'd run for president
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10-23-2008 @ 4:55PM
Gene said...
Why do so many people have so many bills? Why not live a normal life ahead of the bill collector and think of giving some of their new found wealth to charity.
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10-23-2008 @ 5:06PM
Tracie said...
I would pay off my mortgage. Help my elderly parents with their debt. Pay off my children's debts. Give 10% to a church organization. Then after government got their 'share', maybe I'd have enough to spend and save as I like.
I would probably either remodel my present house, or build a new one. It would be great to win one million dollars.
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10-23-2008 @ 5:28PM
homeofhopa said...
10/08
Well, Bill, since my reply doesn't seem to want to show...
I was speaking in general. I, myself, do not have a problem paying my own bills and I own two homes.
10/08 represents October 2008, when the entire world fell to its knees due to financial blundering in the United States.
I AM angry, however, that our savings and investments (even though they are conservatively invested) are in freefall (not as bad as some, but still going down).
We have worked hard for many years, saved diligently, made many sacrifices, and were looking forward to comptemplating our retirement years. Well, THAT won't happen.
10/08
so stop criticizing me and the others out there that have been doing the hard work... how is YOUR situation?
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