Competitive Eating Champion Tim Janus, Known as Eater X, Dies at 49

Tim Janus, a world champion competitive eater known as Eater X, died on September 16 from complications following a long battle with cancer. He was 49.

Major League Eating announced his death on September 20. Janus was one of the most recognizable figures in competitive eating and reached the No. 2 world ranking behind Joey Chestnut.

Career Highlights

Janus competed from 2006 to 2018 and was known for wearing a face-painted Viking mask at events. He held world titles in tiramisu, ramen, and nigiri sushi eating. He also won the world burping championship in 2012 with an 18.1-second burp.

He finished second to Chestnut at the 2010 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest with 45 hot dogs and buns. In 2014, he placed third with 44. He was inducted into the Major League Eating Hall of Fame in 2016.

Janus and Chestnut teamed up for The Amazing Race 30 in 2018, finishing in eighth place. He also appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Cash Cab, where he was the largest winner in the show’s history.

Tributes and Legacy

Crazy Legs Conti, Janus’s former roommate and a former world oyster-eating champion, said in a statement: ‘Tim followed his own passions and dreams without regard for the pressures or expectations of society. He was unique, brilliant and beloved by his friends. He lived his life on his own terms.’

Major League Eating said in its obituary: ‘Janus possessed a highly distinctive view of life and an appetite for the unusual that extended well beyond the competitive eating table.’

Janus was accepted into the United States Foreign Service, but his plans to serve abroad were disrupted by his illness. He is survived by his mother, father, stepmother, and sister.

A celebration of life is planned for October in New York City.