NAPERVILLE, Ill. — James Holzhauer has impressed Jeopardy! viewers across the nation. Wednesday, he marked another win on the show, adding to a string of successes that included entering the Jeopardy! Hall of Fame.
But while childhood friends say they're excited about his success, they aren't necessarily surprised; they say he's always had a way with math and facts.
"When I first saw he was on Jeopardy!, I was not surprised," said childhood friend Laura Gaskill. "I think this is something he was probably born to do. He was always math-minded, fact-minded, and when I saw him on there, I thought, 'this makes sense to me. He's gonna be a great contestant!'"
Holzhauer attended Naperville North High School, where his math skills stood out. The same goes for his performances on Jeopardy, which Gaskill says are the real deal.
"I've seen some comments from people on stories saying, 'is this real, is he really this smart?' And he is!" Gaskill said. "He's been this way since I knew him growing up, he skipped grades in elementary school- he is this smart. So I think he'll be really successful."
And he already has been, with more than a million dollars won, and counting.