Former Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike Richards is set to join The Daily Wire — the conservative digital media outlet founded by Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing — as its new President.
Richards will serve as President and Chief Content Officer of the Daily Wire’s entertainment operations. He joins after the resignation of Boreing — who had previously served as co-CEO of the company — to focus on other projects.
“We knew the answer was, ‘Who is Mike Richards?’ And now we can say ‘he’s an integral part of The Daily Wire’ was the question,” a spokesperson for The Daily Wire stated. “He’s won 5 Emmys, produced over 4,000 hours of network programming, and run some of the most iconic shows the world has ever known. Thank you to the purple hairs. Please ‘cancel’ more creative geniuses.”
Mike Richards has had a long career as a television producer, working mostly on game shows. In addition to his time spent at Jeopardy!, he also worked on The Price Is Right and Let’s Make a Deal. After the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020, Jeopardy! underwent a cast of rotating hosts to find the legendary host’s successor. Richards hosted the program sporadically along with the likes of NFL star Aaron Rodgers, actress Mayim Bialik, and media figures ike Joe Buck, Robin Roberts, Anderson Cooper, and Katie Couric, among others.
At the conclusion of the trial runs, Richards installed himself as the permanent host of the program. However, he quickly vacated the role after past comments he had made on old podcast episodes which included mocking the weight of a contestant and using a derogatory slur towards a woman came to light. Ultimately, former contestant Ken Jennings was named the permanent host of the show, which he still holds today.
The appointment of Richards as President and Chief Content Officer for The Daily Wire comes after reports that co-founder Ben Shapiro has recently undergone meetings about the future of the company with either potential investors or even a potential sale. The last round of fundraising by the company in 2023 was down with a valuation of more than $1 billion.
Despite rumors of internal turbulence at the company, it continues to add. In addition to the appointment of Richards, The Daily Wire is also reportedly preparing to open a bureau in Washington D.C.
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