What Is Susan Stafford's Net Worth?
Susan Stafford is a former American model, actress, and television host who has a net worth of $4 million. Susan Stafford was most prominent during the 1970s and 1980s when she was the original daytime hostess of the game show "Wheel of Fortune." She later went on to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and returned to television to occasionally appear on game shows.
Early Life
Susan Stafford was born on October 13, 1945, in Lynn, Massachusetts. Her family later moved to Missouri, where she grew up. As a teenager, Stafford competed in a number of beauty contests in Kansas City, which were her entry into modeling. After finishing high school, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment rather than going to college, though she would pursue an education later on in her life.
Early Career
Stafford first began landing acting gigs in the 1970s. In 1970, she was cast in an episode of "Bracken's World." In 1972, she appeared in an episode of "Ironside." Susan also was cast in two episodes of "Love, American Style" between 1972 and 1973. In 1973, she appeared in the television film "Incident on a Dark Street" as Monica Forbes. In 1975, she appeared in an episode of the television series "Marcus Welby, M.D." In 1976, she was cast in one episode of "Ellery Queen." The same year, she appeared in an episode of "Debbie."
"Wheel of Fortune"
Susan Stafford's most notable onscreen role was on the game show "Wheel of Fortune." She was hired to be the co-host in 1975 when the show first premiered and was hosted by Chuck Woolery. Pat Sajak replaced Woolery in 1981.
Susan remained on the show from 1975 until 1982, when she decided to leave. She left on her own volition when her contract was up for renewal, as she wanted to take her life and career in a different direction. Stafford was the first woman ever to be nominated for an Emmy Award on a game show. Susan was replaced by Vanna White, who has remained on the show ever since. Vanna White's salary for many years, up until 2023, was $3 million. After Sajak announced his departure from the show in mid-2023, White demanded and received a significant raise to her current $10 million salary.
Susan was asked to be a model on "The Price is Right" in 1976 to replace Anitra Ford, who left the show. However, she ultimately decided she wanted to devote her life to other endeavors.
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Ph.D. and Later Work
After Stafford left "Wheel of Fortune," she worked for one year as a chaplain intern in Houston at a research hospital. She also got into documentary work, co-hosting a number of documentaries on the topic of leprosy alongside Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Susan also decided to pursue her education. She was accepted into Antioch University and earned her bachelor's degree in nutrition. She went on to pursue her master's degree in clinical psychology at the same school before enrolling at Pacific Western University to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
While working on her Ph.D., Stafford also returned to television in 1986 to fill in for Vanna White on "Wheel of Fortune" after White's then-boyfriend died. In 1988, she also hosted "Alive," a show that aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network and later went into syndication. However, the main focus of her life was in psychology and missionary work. She worked as a motivational speaker and chaplain in various locations abroad. She also founded the nonprofit Wheel of Grace Unlimited. She later started the Susan Stafford Foundation and also worked with Friends of the United Nations. She focused much of her philanthropy and advocacy work on human trafficking, patient advocacy, and ecology issues.
In 2003, Stafford made her first game show appearance since "Wheel of Fortune" when she appeared on "Hollywood Squares." In 2005, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California, was dedicated to Susan. In 2011, she published her first book, "Stop the Wheel, I Want to Get Off."
Personal Life
In 1973, Stafford married radio pioneer Gordon McLendon. They divorced in 1975. She then began dating Dick Ebersol of "NBC Sports" and "Saturday Night Live." They married in 1976 on a beach in Malibu. Their wedding was attended by a number of notable SNL cast members like John Belushi and Chevy Chase and SNL producer Lorne Michaels. After Stafford said "I do," Chase threw her into the ocean as a joke.
However, 18 months later, the couple decided to part ways. They had their marriage annulled in 1981. A few years later, Stafford fell in love with game show producer Dan Enright, who was 28 years her senior. They never married but were in a relationship from 1983 until 1992, when Enright died of cancer. Stafford currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
