Life 'normal' for Jennings

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Ken Jennings still loves Utah, he wants you to know. He just doesn't live there anymore.

"I don't want to insult your readership by saying as soon as I got a lick of fame, I split out of town," the "Jeopardy!" champion told the Deseret Morning News. "I still spend a lot of time in Salt Lake."

Jennings, his wife and their two small children now reside in the Seattle area, where he was born. And life is as normal as it can be for a guy who won more than $3 million on a TV game show.

Their lives have actually changed "as little as possible," said Jennings. "My wife and I felt like we were very happy before. We had a nice little family. We had a nice little life. We didn't want to be the people who money turns them into jerks. Or money changes their priorities or whatever. So I can honestly say the money goes to good causes when we feel so inspired and just sits in investments otherwise."

Jennings and his wife are now the parents of two children, 4-year-old Dylan and 8-month-old Caitlyn. And Dylan was definitely affected by his father's "Jeopardy!" fame.

"He started calling me 'Ken Jennings' that summer instead of 'Daddy,' because that's what he heard the announcer on TV say. And he still sometimes does that when he talks about my TV persona."

And there's a feeling of security knowing that he'll be able to pay to send his kids to college.

"That's the one thing I'm happy about," Jennings said. "I don't know how much of the rest they'll get. I don't want to have some spoiled, Paris Hilton, heiress kids."

There are no ostentatious displays of wealth at the Jennings house. He didn't run out and make some splashy purchase with his winnings.

"I feel like I'm letting America down with my very sound fiscal policies or something. While I was still on, I bought a wide-screen TV because I really had always wanted one," Jennings said. "Whoo — 30 seconds of my 'Jeopardy!' winnings went into a TV."

The self-described "big movie buff" has since upgraded to a home-theater screening room, which is "sort of like my one luxury."

"I'm still driving the same '99 Corolla I was driving five years ago before I was on 'Jeopardy,' and people are always sort of let down by that. So, I'm sorry, America," he deadpanned. "I did not buy a Jaguar."