Hollywood actor Ben Affleck and 31-time Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding teamed up to win the top prize of US$1 million on the popular game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
The pair secured the grand prize after correctly answering the final question during Wednesday night’s episode of the long-running ABC programme, completing their challenge after continuing from where the previous episode ended.
With only two questions remaining, Affleck and Ding first faced a US$500,000 question asking about an achievement that happened two months after a New York Times article claimed it would not occur for “1 million to 10 million years”.
The possible answers included splitting the atom, cloning a mammal, the first airplane flight and the development of the polio vaccine.
Ding quickly identified the correct answer as the first airplane flight, with Affleck agreeing and recalling information about media reports surrounding the Wright brothers’ historic achievement.
However, the pair decided to use their 50/50 lifeline before making their final choice, leaving them with two options before selecting the correct answer and advancing to the final round.
For the US$1 million question, the duo were asked which option was not the name of a turkey pardoned by a US president during an annual Thanksgiving tradition.
The choices included Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese and Spaghetti & Meatball.
After using additional lifelines, including asking the host and contacting a friend, Affleck and Ding eventually selected Spaghetti & Meatball as their final answer and successfully claimed the grand prize.
The winnings will be donated to Affleck’s foundation, the Eastern Congo Initiative, which focuses on supporting communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
