Wheel of Fortune Participant Makes History by Scooping $1M Prize

While the Wheel of Fortune is not comparable to the Powerball or Mega Millions lottery game, the show has remained a fixture in television and popular culture. Now, a woman from Connecticut, one Christina Derevjanik, won the fourth-ever seven-figure prize from the competition.

Wheel of Fortune Mints Its Fourth Millionaire Ever

Derevjanik scooped up $1,035,155, and while the prize could indeed pale in comparison to much of what modern lottery scratchers and draw games can offer, the importance of the win stands.

Derevjanik picked the Living Things category and picked R, S, T, L, N, and E as her initial letters. Before long, she guessed – Pack of Coyotes, which resulted in the big-time win of $1 million, alongside the winnings of $35,155 she scooped up in the earlier stages of the game.

The winner was visibly excited on screen, but some of the details of her win are still missing. For example, did Derevjanik choose to have the lump sum paid out at once, or opt for the $50,000 per annum installment over the past 20 years?

If common winner wisdom is any indication, Derevjanik is most likely to have opted for the lump sum, having the money all at once. The money is welcome, as she will now be able to purchase a house and move out of her one-bedroom apartment, which could mean that the winner is opting for the lump sum.