Vanna White is an American actress and television personality best known to the world as the hostess of Wheel Of Fortune. She has been Wheel Of Fortune‘s hostess since 1982. Her time on the program brought her a lot of money and is the primary source of her wealth.
As an actress, she has appeared in Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Married…With Children, Graduation Day, Simon and Simon, The King of Queens, Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, Double Dragon, Goddess of Love, L.A. Law, 227, and Full House.
At the height of Wheel of Fortune‘s popularity, Vanna White became so popular that she has been referenced quite significantly in popular culture.
She was referenced in Nelly’s 2001 hit song, Ride Wit Me when he talks about sitting next to her on a flight in the first class cabin. Weird Al Yankovic, known for his comedy themed music, wrote a song titled Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White. The song was featured on Weird Al’s Even Worse album, and these are just two of many instances.
White is also a published author; she wrote the book, Vanna Speaks in 1987. Vanna Speaks was a best-seller, a further testament to her fame.
Vanna White Bio & Wiki
Vanna White was born on the 18th of February, 1957 in Conway South Carolina as Vanna Marie Rosich to Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich. Her father was of Puerto Rican and Croatian descent. However, her parents got divorced when she was still an infant and her mother remarried to Herbert Stackley White Jr, whose name Vanna took as her last name. Her stepfather was a real estate agent in the area that is now North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
As an actress, she has been active since 1980 till date.
Vanna White Salary & Net Worth
Vanna White’s total net worth stands at a whopping $140 Million. This is as a result of her years on Wheel Of Fortune, where her annual salary was $8 Million.
She was also awarded $403,000 when she sued Samsung Electronics for featuring a parody of her in one of their advertisements in 1993.
The ad in question was a comic ad which featured a robot in place of Vanna, turning over letters on a game show. Vanna alleged her personality rights were violated.
As a knitting and crochet enthusiast, she has a line of yarns through Lion Brand Yarns called “Vanna’s choice”. Her line of yarns is also a source of extra income for her, adding to her overall net worth.
As expected, She also makes money from endorsements, features, ads, and sponsorship.
Vanna White Wheel of Fortune Beginnings
Prior to her Wheel Of Fortune debut, Vanna first appeared on an episode of the game show – The Price Is Right on the 20th of June 1980. She was one of the game’s first four competitors. However, she lost the game midway through the episode.
Later, when Susan Stafford (the original Wheel Of Fortune hostess) left the position in October 1982, Vanna was recruited as a substitute hostess. She was not the only one recruited though; Vicki McCarty and Summer Bartholomew were also recruited as substitute hostesses. However, it is believed that the show’s popularity skyrocketed because of Vanna. She was later offered the permanent position, leading to her long duration with the show and the entertainment industry at large.
Vanna White Married, Boyfriend, Husband, Children & Family
Vanna’s boyfriend in the 1980s was dancer, actor and Playgirl centerfold – John Gibson. The couple were very serious and eventually became engaged. Unfortunately, their romantic story was cut short when John Gibson died in a plane crash in 1986.
After four years, Vanna married George Santo Pietro, a restaurant owner, in 1990. She became pregnant with the couple’s first child in September 1992 and she announced the pregnancy on an episode of the show, Wheel Of Fortune, where “Vanna’s pregnant” was the answer to one of the puzzles. Unfortunately, she miscarried a little while after the episode was taped.
She later gave birth to the couple’s first son, Nicholas in 1994 and their daughter, Giovanna – Gigi – in 1997. In an unfortunate twist, the couple officially got divorced in November 2002.
After that, the television host became engaged to Michale Kaye, a businessman and senior partner in a Southern Californian based leveraged buyout fund. Despite a two year engagement, from 2004 to 2006, the pair never got married.
Since then, Vanna White has opted to keep her personal life on the down low and away from gossip magazines and media outlets.
Vanna White Height, Weight, Quick Facts
Height: 5’6″ (168 cm)
Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
Body Type: Slim
Birth Place: Conway, South Carolina, United States Of America
Star Sign: Aquarius
Net Worth: $40million