| Ken Jennings '04 Tax Returns | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Ken Jennings |
|
Type |
Tax Returns |
|
Effects |
Converts facts into money and vice-versa |
|
Activation |
Answering a question |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
April 20, 2024 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) is an American game show host, former contestant, and author. He is best known for his work on the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy! as a contestant and later its host. He worked as a computer programmer before he tried out for Jeopardy! in 2004. During his initial run, Jennings secured a consecutive 74 wins, setting the record as the highest-earning American game show contestant and bringing significant media attention and viewership.
On his last show, aired November 30, 2004, his reign as Jeopardy! champion ended when he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg. The Final Jeopardy! category was Business & Industry, and the clue was, "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year." Jennings appeared perplexed during the time allowed to write a response, while Zerg finished her response quickly. Zerg responded correctly with "What is H&R Block?" and wagered $4,401 of her $10,000, giving her a $1 lead over Jennings with his response still to be revealed. Jennings incorrectly responded with "What is FedEx?" and lost the game with a final score of $8,799 after his $5,601 wager was deducted from his score. Taking advantage of the notoriety of Jennings's losing Final Jeopardy! answer, H&R Block offered Jennings free tax planning and financial services for the rest of his life, with a senior vice president for the company estimating that he owed about $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings.
Jennings holds numerous game show records: he is the highest-earning American game show contestant, having won money on five different programs, including $4,522,700 on Jeopardy!. His original appearance on the program marks the longest winning streak, and he also holds the record for the highest average correct responses per game. Additionally, Jennings was awarded the first-place prize in Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (2020).
Effects[]
Turns known facts into money, with each individual snippet turning into one dollar (or equivalent base currency). Greater wealth per unit comes from exchanging one vital piece of information, such as driving a car and all the subset skills, rather than stringing together many personally irrelevant factoids. They will only trigger the base amount unless it’s something the person uses and requires to function.
When converted, the user no longer knows that information and is unable to hear, understand, or perceive it unless converted back. Money itself can be turned into knowledge, granting the user more difficult, skill required, conceptual or rare information with every 74 dollars used.