Larissa Kelly Biography

Larissa Kelly is a well-known American writer and editor. She gained fame for holding multiple titles on the U.S. game show Jeopardy! She appeared on the show Jeopardy many times and has collected a good amount. She came on the show in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024. She is expected to come the next season as she gained the title of ‘2024 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament champion.’

Larissa Kelly Early Life, Education & Childhood

Larissa Kelly was born on 10th February 1980, which makes her 44 years old as of 2024. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She has a sister, Arianna Kelly, who played as a contestant on Jeopardy! Season 24 in 2008. Talking about her educational background, she attended Newton North High School.

At school, she helped lead the science bowl team to a national competition. She graduated from Princeton University in 2002. She then studied the history of archaeology in 19th-century Mexico and completed a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Career

Larissa Kelly is a science fiction author who has had one story published at Strange Horizons – a weekly magazine.

Jeopardy! Journey

  • In game one (episode aired on 20th May 2008), she competed against contestants Mary Kay Schmidt and Ameet Shukla. 
  • In game two (episode aired on 21st May 2008), she competed against contestants Ruth Doucette and Brandon LaMarr. 
  • In game three (episode aired on 22nd May 2008), she competed against contestants Deborah Gronich Tate and Judith Koveleskie.
  • In game four (episode aired on 23rd May 2008), she competed against contestants Sara Orel and Will Blashka. 
  • In game five (episode aired on 26th May 2008), she competed against contestants Heather Vance and John Owens. 
  • In game six (episode aired on 27th May 2008), she competed against contestants Jennifer Goldberg and Dan Maggin.
  • In game seven (episode aired on 28th May 2008), she competed against contestants Pat Roche and Nan Reiner. 

She made a second appearance on Jeopardy! Season 25 in 2009. She played in the 2009 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.

  • In the quarterfinal (episode aired on 12th March 2009), she competed against contestants Matt Kohlstedt and Tom Morris.
  • In the semifinal (episode aired on 19th March 2009), she competed against contestant Cora Peck and Dave Simpson. 
  • In the final games(episode aired on 23-24th March 2009), she competed against contestants Aaron Schroeder and Dan Pawson.

She made a third appearance on Jeopardy! Season 30. At that time, she was a 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee (episode aired on 2nd April 2014). She also appeared on Jeopardy! Season 35 All-Star Games in February 2019 as a member of Team Brad Rutter. 

She is currently gaining fame for her appearance on Jeopardy! Season 40. She is 2024 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament champion. On 21st March 2024, she competed against contestants Leonard Cooper and Jason Zuffranieri. Larissa stood at $25,200 + $15,000 = $40,200, and she also advanced to the semifinals where she will compete against Andrew He and Sam Kavanaugh.

Larissa Kelly Biography

Real Name Larissa Kelly 
Birth Date February 10, 1980
Age (as of 2024) 44 Years
Birth Place Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Profession Editor
College Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley. 
Qualification Graduate

Physical Statistics

Height
Weight
Hair Color Dark Brown
Eye Color Dark Brown

Family

Father
Mother
Sister
Brother

Relationship Status

Marital Status Married
Who is her husband? Jeff Hoppes
Children

Personal Life

Larissa is a married woman. She wedded with a handsome man named Jeff Hoppes (Larissa Kelly’s quiz bowl teammate). They tied the wedding knot on 3rd August 2002. 

Social Media

She is active on social media platforms. She has 1653 followers on her Twitter account with the username @Larissa_K_Kelly (On Bluesky at larissakelly.bsky.social). 

Larissa Kelly Net Worth

Larissa Kelly is an editor from Richmond, California. She is one of the talented Jeopardy! Champion and considered as the top-earning female player. She was a Jeopardy! Season 24 6-time champion who earned a total of $222,597 + $1,000.

She was the 2009 Tournament of Champions first runner-up and earned $100,000. She received $5000 for the 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee. Larissa Kelly is living a luxurious lifestyle, accumulated assets, and an estimated net worth of around $500,000 as of 2024. 

Trivia

  • She is currently a resident of Richmond, California. 
  • Larissa Kelly was the first female person to win and gave correct answers for the ten Final Jeopardy clues [other than the highest-earning champion, Ken Jennings].
  • Larissa Kelly is listed in “The 10 Most Successful Jeopardy Champions Of All Time”. She has accumulated a total winning of $655,930 throughout her appearances in the show, Jeopardy.

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