Yogesh Raut has spoken out after profitable Jeopardy! Masters on Wednesday. The champion sat down with Jeopardy!‘s government producer, Sarah Whitcomb-Foss, on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast to speak about his win.
Raut went residence with $500,000, the title of Masters Champion, the Alex Trebek trophy, and $100,000 donated to the charity of his alternative, which was the Equal Justice Initiative. He beat out the 2024 champion Victoria Groce and the 2024 Jeopardy! Wildcard Champions participant Juveria Zaheer. He gained the sport after having a dramatic Double Jeopardy spherical. The sport got here right down to Closing Jeopardy wagers, making it a decent recreation.
About his win, he mentioned it felt “nice.” Raut mentioned that he got here into the match with the identical purpose that he all the time had, which was to “do his finest.” “I management the issues I can management, I simply hope every thing else goes my means,” he shared.
Based on Raut, there was no dangerous blood between him and his opponents. “Despite the fact that we needed to compete in opposition to one another, in comparison with the world at giant, we now have extra in widespread with one another than we do with the remainder of the world in some ways,” he mentioned. “We’re all kindred spirits.”
He added, “Throughout these 19 minutes that you just’re up there, you’re preventing in opposition to one another, however throughout the remainder of the time, these are the individuals which can be most just like you. The extra the merrier.”
Whitcomb-Foss prompted Raut to speak concerning the three of them turning to one another after the Day by day Doubles and saying, “Properly finished!”
“There’s no actual level in having spite in the direction of one another at that time,” Raut laughed. “You all work so arduous and some milliseconds on the buzzer is what’s going to make the distinction. You simply hope that the sport goes as easily as doable and it makes nice TV. If it goes to you, nice. If it doesn’t, it goes to certainly one of your pals.”
He went on to say that he wouldn’t have been crushed if he went residence with $250,000 or $150,00, which is what second and third place obtain. “And if any of the opposite had gained, they might’ve deserved it,” Raut instructed the chief producer.
Nonetheless, with this win, Raut obtained one other accomplishment. He’s now quantity six on the Leaderboard of Legends within the All-Time Winnings Class. All through his time on the sport present, Raut has gained $1,096,403, and the $500,000 was a giant contribution to that. Raut wasn’t even within the prime 10 earlier than this win and has now surpassed 5 champions, together with Groce.
“It’s a really unique membership, and I’m very fortunate to be part of that,” he mentioned.
Raut began off his Jeopardy! run with a three-game profitable streak in 2023. He then gained the Match of Champions in 2024 and now the 2025 Masters. Because the earlier yr’s Masters champ returns for the subsequent competitors, Raut is assured to play within the 2026 match. He might turn into the primary two-time Masters champion.
“All of those victories imply extra when you know the way good the individuals you’re competing in opposition to are,” Raut mentioned.
Jeopardy! Masters, Season 3, Streaming Now, Hulu