HOLR HIGHLIGHTS
The key details readers need to know.
- Ben Affleck and Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding won the $1 million grand prize on ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
- The winnings will benefit Affleck’s nonprofit, the Eastern Congo Initiative.
- The duo answered two incredibly difficult final questions, becoming one of only a select group of celebrity teams to claim the show’s top prize.
July 30, 2026
Years after audiences fell in love with the iconic quiz show, Ben Affleck and trivia champion Jamie Ding achieved one of its rarest milestones—winning the $1 million grand prize for charity.
There was a time when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire wasn’t just another television game show—it was appointment viewing. Families gathered around the TV, quietly debating answers before Regis Philbin revealed whether a contestant had just changed their life forever. Reaching the million-dollar question felt almost impossible, and actually winning it was even rarer. That sense of suspense hasn’t disappeared.
Decades later, the famous music, the dramatic pauses, and the pressure of one final answer still have the power to make viewers hold their breath. That’s exactly what happened when Ben Affleck sat in the hot seat alongside Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding. By the end of the episode, the pair had accomplished something very few celebrity contestants ever have: they walked away with the elusive $1 million prize, proving that even Hollywood stars can experience genuine game-show nerves when everything is on the line.
A Hollywood Star Meets a Trivia Powerhouse
Ben Affleck didn’t face the challenge alone.
Joining him was Jamie Ding, the 31-game Jeopardy! champion whose impressive trivia record made him an ideal teammate for a show built on knowledge under pressure. While Affleck brought confidence, strategy, and plenty of humor, Ding contributed the kind of rapid-fire recall that has already made him one of modern quiz television’s standout competitors.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Together, the pair steadily climbed through the increasingly difficult questions, using their lifelines carefully and trusting each other’s instincts when the pressure mounted. Their teamwork quickly became one of the episode’s biggest strengths.
The Final Questions Tested More Than Knowledge
As the game reached its closing moments, the difficulty increased dramatically.
The duo first secured $500,000 after correctly answering a question about a historic New York Times article that mistakenly predicted which invention would take far longer to succeed. Their answer—the first airplane flight—proved correct, moving them one step away from the grand prize.
Ben Affleck Wins $1 Million Top Prize on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’
The million-dollar question proved even trickier.
They were asked which name had never been used for a pair of Thanksgiving turkeys officially pardoned by a U.S. president. After exhausting nearly every available lifeline and even consulting host Jimmy Kimmel, the team confidently selected “Spaghetti and Meatball.”
It was the correct answer.
The studio immediately erupted in applause as Affleck embraced Ding, celebrating one of the rarest victories in the show’s history.
The Prize Will Support an Important Cause
Although the moment made for great television, the biggest winner wasn’t either contestant.
The entire $1 million prize will go to Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), the nonprofit organization Ben Affleck co-founded in 2010 with Whitney Williams. The organization works alongside local communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo by supporting education, healthcare, economic development, justice initiatives, and locally led solutions for long-term change.
Affleck has spent years advocating for the region through both philanthropy and public policy, making the victory especially meaningful beyond the game show itself.
A Rare Win in Millionaire History
Winning the top prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire has always been exceptionally uncommon.
Even celebrity contestants often leave with respectable donations for their charities without reaching the final question. Affleck and Ding now join a very small group of celebrity winners who have successfully claimed the full $1 million, placing their achievement among the most memorable moments in the show’s modern revival.
Ben Affleck, ‘Jeopardy!’ champ Jamie Ding win ‘Millionaire’
The victory also carries a fun bit of Hollywood history. Last year, Affleck’s longtime friend and Good Will Hunting collaborator Matt Damon also celebrated a million-dollar win on the show, making the pair one of entertainment’s most successful quiz-show duos—even if they competed in different seasons.
Why the Moment Resonated With Viewers
Part of the excitement came from seeing genuine emotion.
Ben Affleck is an Academy Award-winning actor who has walked countless red carpets and accepted some of Hollywood’s biggest honors. Yet when the final answer was revealed, his reaction wasn’t polished or rehearsed. He jumped up, celebrated with Jamie Ding, and embraced the moment like any lifelong fan who had just achieved the impossible.
That’s what made the victory feel so satisfying.
It wasn’t simply about answering trivia questions. It was about watching two people combine preparation, trust, and a little bit of luck to conquer one of television’s most iconic challenges—and turning that success into something that will help thousands of others.
FAQs
Did Ben Affleck win $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Yes. Ben Affleck and Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding won the show’s $1 million grand prize during the July 30, 2026 celebrity episode.
Who is Jamie Ding?
Jamie Ding is a 31-time Jeopardy! champion who teamed up with Ben Affleck for the celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
What charity received the $1 million prize?
The prize was awarded to Eastern Congo Initiative, the nonprofit organization co-founded by Ben Affleck that supports community-led development projects in eastern Congo.
What was the $1 million question?
The final question asked which pair of names had never been used for Thanksgiving turkeys pardoned by a U.S. president. The correct answer was “Spaghetti and Meatball.”
Is winning $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire rare?
Yes. Only a small number of celebrity contestants have ever reached and correctly answered the million-dollar question.