Vanna White Reportedly Wants Half of Pat Sajak’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Salary for Return

Vanna White is still in negotiations to return to Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak retires, and she reportedly wants half of his salary. Yahoo reports that White’s annual salary is one-fifth of Sajak’s, as she makes $3 million a year to his $15 million annual salary. The outlet states that she is threatening to quit unless the show’s producing studio, Sony Pictures Television, agrees to more than double her pay to $7.5. Notably, it’s been reported that White has not had a pay raise in nearly two decades.

The situation with White has been an interesting one to follow. After Sajak announced his planned retirement, rumors began swirling that White was planning to stay with the show, but that she’d hired a lawyer to negotiate a new pay raise. A promising update came when it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would be the new host, making over after Sajak’s final season, which will begin later this year. Seacrest wrote a statement about the news, and at the end he stated, “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”

However, Puck’s Matthew Belloni soon came forward to report that White and Sony Pictures TV still have not come to an agreement on her salary. Per TV Line, there had been rumblings at Sony TV that executives might be considering “eliminating” White’s co-host role when Sajak leaves. While Sony TV did not offer any official comment on the reports, TV Line spoke with an unnamed source who alleges that the rumors are inaccurate and that there “is no plan to eliminate Vanna’s role.” The insider stated, “Sony is in active discussions to renew Vanna’s deal beyond her current contract.” The outlet went on to note that White makes roughly five times less than Sajak for her co-host role and that, in regard to the pay discrepancy, she has hired a lawyer to advocate with the studio on her behalf.

In a written statement shared on Monday, June 12, Sajak revealed that the next Wheel of Fortune season will be his last. “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he wrote. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)” Variety reported that, while he will no longer be the face of the iconic game show, Sajak will continue as a consultant for three years following his hosting retirement, per Sony TV.