Jeopardy!'s James Holzhauer, "the anti-Kardashian of TV stars," first made headlines at age 4

The New York Times

Holzhauer was a math whiz growing up -- so much so that he was profiled in the Chicago Tribune in 1989 in an article about gifted children. "He consistently got A’s on math tests, and he was a star on his high school math team, his family and friends said," reports Julia Jacobs in a profile of the Jeopardy! champion. "But he was a C student — even in math — because he often skipped doing his homework or going to class, reasoning he could use the time more productively." Holzhauer's older brother Ian describes him as a slacker with a gifted mind. “It’s just a regular slacker story,” says Ian Holzhauer. “Except it’s somebody who has a lot of really exceptional gifts.” Jacobs notes that Holzhauer is "remarkably open to giving interviews, to journalists from mainstream news organizations, niche sports betting websites and everything in between. Modest in dress, spare with his words on camera and dispassionate each time he breaks records, he is the anti-Kardashian of TV stars." Holzhauer first got addicted to Jeopardy! as a child, watching the show with his grandmother, an immigrant from Japan. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Holzhauer attempted to become an actuary. But he opted to avoid a desk job and focused on sports betting instead. ALSO: What it's like to get crushed by Holzhauer.