New York - US television host and businessman Merv Griffin, creator of quiz shows Jeopardy and The Wheel of Fortune, died Sunday at the age of 82, according to a spokeswoman with his company, the Griffin Group. Griffin, who also was host of the landmark talk show The Merv Griffin Show, suffered from cancer. In his role on the talkshow that bore his name, he hosted 25,000 guests over 23 years and won 17 Emmy Awards from 32 nominations.
Griffin, who started his career as a radio singer, would go on to create his famous quiz programmes that would make him a vast fortune. The game shows starred other hosts, but Griffin's production company owned the rights to what are among the most successful programmes in US television history.
In 1986, Griffin sold the rights to Columbia Pictures, a deal that made him one of the richest people in Hollywood. In recent years he supported charities to help young musicians and abused children.
