Hollywood actor Ben Affleck won the $1 million top prize on ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” teaming up with trivia expert Jamie Ding. The victory of Ben Affleck happened almost exactly one year after his longtime friend and “Good Will Hunting” co-star Matt Damon also reached the million-dollar finish line on the show.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won the grand prize when they correctly answered the 15th and final question on the Wednesday, July 30 episode of the ABC game show. The money goes to the Oscar winner’s foundation, the Eastern Congo Initiative.
At the top of the episode, which picked up where last week’s episode left off, Affleck, 57, shared that the Eastern Congo Initiative supports community-based organizations in the region, which has been “severely impacted by a very traumatic war.”
Ben Affleck and David Ding faced a nail-biting final question
For the $1 million question, Affleck and Ding were asked to identify which pair of turkeys had not been pardoned by a US president as part of the annual Thanksgiving tradition, which was formally established by President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
The possible answers were:
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Tater & Tot
- Mac & Cheese
- Spaghetti & Meatball
Since they were not sure about the answer, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon decided to use their "Ask Your Host" lifeline and turned to Jimmy Kimmel for help.
Jimmy Kimmel wasn't confident about the answer
Kimmel admitted he wasn't sure and hesitantly guessed Spaghetti & Meatball. Still uncertain, Affleck and Ding also consulted Ding's trivia partner, Stephen Morrison. However, Morrison chose not to offer an answer, leaving the team with little guidance.
Trusting Kimmel's instinct, Affleck said: "I would bet on Jimmy. I would go for it." The pair submitted Spaghetti & Meatball as their final answer.
A long pause before the big reveal
The studio fell silent as everyone waited for the result. "I have such a stomach ache right now," Kimmel admitted, reflecting the tension felt by everyone on stage.
After what seemed like an endless pause, a drum roll filled the studio before the correct answer was finally revealed.
Affleck and Ding had answered correctly.
The two immediately jumped from their seats, embraced each other, and celebrated as confetti rained down around them. The $1 million prize will support the Eastern Congo Initiative
Following the win, Jimmy Kimmel presented the team with a giant $1 million check. The prize money will go to the Eastern Congo Initiative, the nonprofit organization Affleck co-founded with entrepreneur Whitney Williams in 2009.
The organization supports community-led programs in eastern Congo while raising international awareness about the region's humanitarian challenges.
Earlier, Affleck used his knowledge of history to answer a crucial question
Before reaching the final round, Affleck and Ding faced a difficult $500,000 question: "What achievement occurred just two months after a New York Times article said it wouldn't happen for '1 million to 10 million years'?"
The options included:
- Splitting the atom
- Cloning a mammal
- The first airplane flight
- The polio vaccine
Ding immediately leaned toward the first airplane flight, and Affleck agreed.
The actor explained that he remembered reading about an incorrect prediction made by The New York Times regarding the Wright brothers.
"I only remember this because it was a time in my life where I spent time looking up examples that the press got things wrong. Yeah, just randomly," Affleck said. "And I sort of, vaguely, in my subconscious remember the Times and the Wright brothers and that whole thing was 1905, 3 or 4, or something."
Ding replied, "I think '03," prompting Jimmy Kimmel to joke:
"So much smarter than Matt."
The playful remark referenced Affleck's longtime friend Matt Damon, who appeared on the show with Ken Jennings last year and also won $1 million. Still wanting extra confidence, Affleck and Ding used their 50:50 lifeline, narrowing the choices to splitting the atom and the first airplane flight.
They selected the first airplane flight, answered correctly, and moved one step closer to the million-dollar prize.
Ben Affleck's calm strategy paid off
Throughout the game, Affleck relied on a mix of historical knowledge, teamwork, and carefully timed lifelines to navigate some of the show's toughest questions.
His partnership with David Ding ultimately paid off, as the duo successfully answered the final question and secured $1 million for charity, delivering one of the season's most memorable victories on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
