Vanna White says she is leaving “Wheel of Fortune” unless she makes at least half of what Pat Sajak makes

Vanna White says she is leaving “Wheel of Fortune” unless she makes at least half of what Pat Sajak makes.

With Pat Sajak retiring and Ryan Seacrest set to take over next year, all eyes are on longtime star Vanna White. In theory, she’s the perfect bridge to transition between one phase of Wheel Of Fortune to the next, but if the latest rumors are to be believed, the new contract that would keep her on the show for years to come isn’t exactly ready to be signed yet. She recently lawyered up, and the subsequent negotiations are apparently not going well.

Now, that Ryan Seacrest is taking over the show in September 2024, White is asking for a much-deserved, and hefty, raise. She is asking for “at least half” of what Sajak makes, but Sony is apparently giving her a hard time, according to TMZ. “After 41 years as a model employee and more the face of that show than him [Pat], asking for 50% of what he makes seems like a no-brainer,” a White source told the media outlet. However, the ongoing contract negotiations have been “very difficult” because Sony doesn’t seem excited about giving her that big of a salary increase. The Internet has been awash with stories over the last week or so about Vanna White and her salary situation. She reportedly makes about $3M a year and outside of bonuses, has not gotten an official raise in 18 years. Current host Pat Sajak apparently makes $15M a year, and White would understandably like to close that gap. Fans have speculated about how much she’s asking for, and now, TMZ has the figure. The outlet claims White wants half of what Sajak is currently making: a cool $7.5M a year, which would more than double her current contract.

If these reports are to be believed, Sony is not ready to say yes to that demand, at least not yet, though they do want her to stay on. It’s unclear how much budget they’ve earmarked for incoming host Ryan Seacrest, and it’s possible they just don’t view her role on Wheel Of Fortune as being worthy of that kind of money. We don’t really know how Sony feels because executives haven’t weighed in publicly, and there haven’t even been many quotes from alleged insiders about where the studio’s head is at.

White believes that this discussion about pay parity goes far beyond her job. The insider added, “She feels like it’s a statement for all women.” And while she loves her job on Wheel of Fortune and wants to stick around through Sajak’s last season and into Seacrest’s tenure, she is willing to walk away if she doesn’t receive “a minimum of what is fair.”

For anyone arguing that Sajak is the star of the show, and she is merely a supporting character, the dynamic duo comes out together each episode and they are announced as “the stars of our show.” That introduction alone should be a strong enough argument to merit a significant raise — White is equally as important to the show as Sajak.