Personal Background and Education
Around 1985–1986, Seattle-born Melissa Holzhauer was born Sassin. She earned a BA from the University of Washington in June 2007 and an MA from Brown University in September 2008–May 2010. She worked with nearly 500 Seattle public school students in AmeriCorps Youth Development programs from July 2007 to August 2009 during her college studies (2003–2007).
Her interest in developmental psychology and pedagogy prepared her to instruct. After 40 hours of intensive training, she achieved ACT preparation certification in 2012. She began instructing in Las Vegas in February 2014, growing from 10 pupils to over 60 by 2020.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth Years | 1985–1986 |
| BA Completion | June 2007 |
| MA Period | Sep 2008–May 2010 |
| AmeriCorps Service | Jul 2007–Aug 2009 |
| ACT Tutor Certification | 40 hours (2012) |
| Tutoring Clients (2014 vs. 2020) | 10 vs. 60 |
Game Show Achievements
Melissa competed on U.S. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on February 17, 2014. advanced to the ninth question, winning $28,800. Over nine questions, she used three lifelines and answered 78% correctly. She had a prime-time audience of 5 million and was in the top 3 that week.
Her academic tutor appearance is one of the highest-earning on the show. Only five players used less than four lifelines to reach $28,800 from 2014 to 2025. She declined the 10th anniversary special invitation in May 2022 due to work.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Appearance Date | February 17, 2014 |
| Winnings | $28,800 |
| Questions Answered | 9 |
| Lifelines Used | 3 |
| Episode Viewership | ~5,000,000 |
| Anniversary Special Invitation | May 2022 |
Professional Career Trajectory
Melissa has worked in youth development, municipal leisure, academic assessment, and data science. The Seattle Parks & Recreation employee coordinated 12 seasonal programs for approximately 2,000 participants from January 2010 to December 2012. She managed 15 AmeriCorps Youth Development service members in literacy activities from 2012 to 2014.
She was a Las Vegas ACT tutor from January 2015 to December 2018, raising students’ average scores by 4.5 points. In January 2019, she began a 24-week data science boot camp and joined a consulting firm in June 2019. By March 2025, she had worked on ten analytics initiatives that influenced five educational institutions’ policies.
| Period | Role | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–2012 | Recreation Coordinator | 12 programs; 2,000 participants |
| 2012–2014 | AmeriCorps Youth Leader | Led 15 members; curriculum for 300 students |
| 2015–2018 | ACT Tutor | +4.5 average score improvement |
| 2019–Present | Data Scientist | 10 projects; 5 institutional policy reports |
Family and Personal Life
Two years after dating, Melissa married game-show champion James Holzhauer in June 2013. James’s record-setting 32-game Jeopardy streak! in 2019, winning $2,462,216. The couple had a daughter on November 12, 2014, who will be 10 by November 2024 and start elementary school reading in the 90th percentile.
Juergen Holzhauer (born 1950), a German engineer, and Nachiko Ide Holzhauer (born 1952), a Japanese woman, are Melissa’s in-laws. Ian Holzhauer (born 1988), her Chicago lawyer brother-in-law, has 12 years of litigation experience as of 2025.
| Family Member | Relationship | Born | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Holzhauer | Husband | 1984 | $2.46M Jeopardy! winnings |
| Daughter | Child | 2014 | 90th percentile reading score |
| Juergen Holzhauer | Father-in-law | 1950 | Engineer |
| Nachiko Ide Holzhauer | Mother-in-law | 1952 | Japanese heritage |
| Ian Holzhauer | Brother-in-law | 1988 | 12 years as litigation attorney |
Financial Profile and Net Worth
Melissa’s tutoring, game-show, and data-science consultancy revenues put her net worth between $100,000 and $1,000,000 in June 2025. Her 2014 prize of $28,800 comprised 22.5%–28.8% of her cumulative career earnings through that year. Her data-science job paid $80,000–$120,000 in 2019–2024.
The net worth of James Holzhauer fluctuates between $1.5 million (2019), $2.0 million (2021), and $3.0 million (2024). Mid-2025 estimates put their household net worth at $4.0 million.
| Category | Range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Melissa Net Worth | $100,000–$1,000,000 |
| 2014 Game-show Contribution | $28,800 |
| Data Science Salary (Annual) | $80,000–$120,000 |
| James Holzhauer Net Worth | $1.5M–$3.0M |
| Combined Household Net Worth (2025) | $4.0M |
Charity and Public Engagements
Since 2020, Melissa and James have donated $35,000 to Las Vegas youth and community organisations. They gave $10,000 to local juvenile shelters through Project 150 in July 2020. They co-funded Sunrise Mountain High School’s synthetic grass installation with $25,000 in May 2025, resulting in a $250,000 NFL Foundation grant.
Melissa appeared in six TV interviews between 2020 and 2025, including a 200,000-viewer 13 Action News broadcast in April 2025. Her auction participation at four Project 150 galas raised $15,000 for her.
| Year | Initiative | Contribution (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Project 150 Youth Shelter Donation | $10,000 |
| 2022 | Alex Trebek Person of the Year Award | Award recipient |
| 2023 | Project 150 Gala | $6,000 raised |
| 2025 | Sunrise Mountain HS Turf Fund | $25,000 |
| 2020–25 | Media Interviews | 6 segments; 200,000 viewers |
Summary Table: Key Details
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Melissa Sassin |
| Education | BA (2007), MA (2010) |
| Game-show Winnings | $28,800 (02/17/2014) |
| Career Roles | Tutor, AmeriCorps, Recreation Coordinator, Data Scientist |
| Marriage Date | June 2013 |
| Child | Daughter born Nov 12, 2014 |
| Net Worth (2025) | $100K–$1M (Melissa); $1.5M–$3M (James) |
| Philanthropy Total | $35,000+ since 2020 |
| Award | Alex Trebek Person of the Year (09/2022) |
FAQ
Melissa joined Who Wants to Be a Millionaire when?
She won $28,800 on February 17, 2014, after answering nine questions.
What is her educational background?
She received a BA in June 2007 and a Master’s in May 2010.
How many children does she have?
The daughter was born November 12, 2014.
What is her primary profession?
She is an ACT and academic tutor and data scientist since 2019.
Her charitable giving: how much?
Both she and her spouse have donated over $35,000 to youth and community projects since 2020.
Which prize did she and James receive?
They won Alex Trebek Person of the Year in September 2022.
