“Wheel of Fortune” Just Crowned Its Biggest Winner Ever

“Wheel of Fortune” just made history… and it came with a seven-figure payout.

Christina Derevjanik of Stamford, Connecticut became the biggest winner in the game show’s 43-season run, walking away with a jaw-dropping $1,035,155 in cash, plus trips to Montana and Tokyo.

All of that after solving the puzzle phrase “Pack of Coyotes.”

This wasn’t just a lucky spin. Christina is only the fourth contestant in “Wheel” history to hit the million-dollar mark, and notably, the very first to do it since Ryan Seacrest took over as host. (Technically, she’s the fifth if you count “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”, where Melissa Joan Hart snagged the prize in 2021, but that’s its own lane.)

Fans have been quick to point out that this is a milestone moment for the show, proving the million-dollar wedge is more than just a shiny piece of cardboard. In fact, it’s so elusive that fewer than five people have ever made it happen since it was added for the 26th season in 2008.

The win adds a little extra shine to Seacrest’s first season at the helm.

Viewers have been curious whether the long-running show would feel the same, following Pat Sajak’s retirement, but Christina’s historic night was the kind of buzzy TV moment producers dream of.

For fans of the game, “Pack of Coyotes” is already trending as one of those legendary puzzles people will be talking about years from now, much like the infamous “Flamenco Dance Lessons” or the viral clip of “A Streetcar Naked Desire” (yeah, that one still haunts the internet).

Christina now joins an exclusive club of contestants who didn’t just win big but changed Wheel of Fortune history. And let’s be honest, if you’re going to have your name forever linked to the show, “Pack of Coyotes” is a pretty epic way to do it.