Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Who Is Vanna White?
Vanna Marie Rosich White is an American television personality, actress, and model.
White is best known for being the hostess as well as puzzle-board turner in the long-running American game show Wheel of Fortune.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Vanna Marie Rosich White |
Popular Name: | Vanna White |
Gender: | Female |
Birth Date: | February 18, 1957 |
Age: | 66 years |
Parents: | Miguel Rosich and Joan Marie Rosich |
Siblings: | Herbert Stackley “Chip” White, III |
Birth Place: | North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | White and Spanish |
Education: | North Myrtle Beach High School and the Atlanta School of Fashion |
Marital Status: | Divorced. Previously married to George Santo Pietro (from 1990 until their divorce in 2002) |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | N/A |
Children: | Gigi Santo Pietro and Niko Santo Pietro |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | USD 80 million |
Source of Wealth: | Acting, Television, Modeling, Endorsement Deals, and Other Ventures |
Height: | 5′ 5″ (1.67 m) |
Weight: | 58 kg; In pounds: 127 lbs |
Early Life and Career Information
Vanna White was born on February 18, 1957, in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Miguel Rosich and Joan Marie Rosich. Vanna’s parents divorced while she was still a baby and Joan Marie remarried Hebert White, Jr., which explains Vanna’s last name.
After graduating from North Myrtle Beach High School, Vanna White moved from her hometown to Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended the Atlanta School of Fashion. She kicked off her modeling career while attending college and was one of the contestants in the 1978 pageant for Miss Georgia USA.
In 1979, White moved from to Los Angeles, California, to pursue an acting career. On June 20, 1980, she made her debut television appearance on an episode of The Price is Right. The same year, she made her film debut in a movie that would later be edited and released ten years later as Gypsy Angels.
In 1981, White landed a minor role in the film Looker, as well as in the horror movie Graduation Day. Her breakout television role came in October 1982 after she was hired as one of the substitute hostesses of Wheel of Fortune. On December 13, the same year, she became the game show’s regular and primary hostess, a position she has held to date. She currently co-hosts the show’s evening version, along with fellow host Pat Sajak.
During her tenure with Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White has worn over 6,700 dresses with no repeats. On May 24, 2013, she received a Guinness World Record for the ‘most frequent clapper.’ Apparently, she had clapped at least 3,480,864 times across all the Wheel of Fortune episodes that she had featured in, as of January 31, 2013. Her current contract with the show runs through 2022.
Vanna White has continued to appear in scores of movies and television shows even during her tenure at Wheel of Fortune. In 1988, she made an appearance on NBC’s television film Goddess of Love. She also made cameo appearances on the television shows L.A Law, The King of Queens, 227, Simon and Simon, Super Mario Bros. Super Show, and Full House. In 1994, she made cameo appearances in the films Naked Gun 33?: The Final Insult and Double Dragon.
Vanna has also guest starred in Married…With Children, as well as served as lent her voice to the animated television shows The Real Story of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
Vanna White’s Net Worth
As of 2023, Vanna White had a net worth of $80 million. A huge chunk of her wealth comes from her three-decade-long career in the film and television industry.
In a typical year, White earns at least $15 million from her various endeavors, $10 million of which comes from her salary hosting the Wheel of Fortune. Now, Wheel of Fortune tapes six shows per day, four days every month. So, to put it into a better perspective, Vanna White earns $10 million from 48 days of work per year. Which implies that she makes $208,333 per workday or $34,722 per show.
The following are Vanna White’s other major income-earners:
i. Real estate investments
Vanna White has flipped several real estate properties over the years. She and her former husband, George Santo Pietro, built a 15,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Park. After the couple’s divorce in 2002, they agreed to rent out the property for a monthly fee of $175,000. They eventually listed the house for sale in 2017 for $47.5 million.
In addition to this house, the couple also owned a luxurious mansion on a nearby lot, which they sold for $22 million.
In 2013, White acquired a home in Sherman Oaks, California for $1.125 million. In May 2020, she listed the home for rent for a monthly fee of $20,000.
White’s currently lives in a 10,000-square-foot-mansion in Beverly Hills, which she acquired for $3.4 million in the early 2000s. The property’s current value is likely to be upwards of $10 million.
ii. Lawsuits
In 1993, Vanna White filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Corporation. She blamed the company for airing a commercial that used a robot in her likeness without her consent. She won $403,000 in damages.
Five years earlier, she had sued Playboy for using her photos without her permission. She, however, dropped the lawsuit.
Vanna White also owns her own line of yarn, known as Vanna’s Choice. She once endorsed Lion Brand Yarns and continues to endorse crotchet and knitting books that are published in her name.
Lessons from Vanna White
1. Use every skill to your advantage
Vanna White learned to crochet at the age of five. She eventually came to leverage her crocheting skills to make money.
2. Patience is a virtue
Vanna White accepted several minor movie and television roles before joining Wheel of Fortune. She patiently waited for her big moment on television and when it finally came, she didn’t disappoint.
3. Know your worth
White understands that she’s endowed with good looks and great hosting talents. But she doesn’t let anyone take advantage of her, which explains her lawsuits against Playboy and Samsung.
Famous Quotes by Vanna White
“I’m a mom, a full-time mom when I’m not taping. I do the carpool thing, and bake the cookies, and do the homework.”
“It’s not the most intellectual job in the world, but I do have to know the letters.”
“So, I understand when they make a mistake and everyone at home is throwing their shoe at the television set.”
“There are five cameras, I don’t know how many people in the audience… depending on where we’re taping, there can be anywhere from 300 to 5,000 people, so the contestants are nervous.”
“When I was having that alphabet soup, I never thought that it would pay off.”
Conclusion
Vanna White’s success story is proof that hard work, patience, and diligence can take you places. Although she’s most famous for hosting Wheel of Fortune, White has featured in scores of other films and television shows. And she has an impressive net worth to show for it.