Ben Affleck has taken home the $1 million (£748k) jackpot on the US version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, appearing alongside Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding to win the prize for charity. The 53-year-old actor faced a series of tough questions, starting with the $500k (£373k) 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 were splitting the atom, cloning a mammal, the first airplane flight, and the polio vaccine. They correctly chose the airplane flight, earning applause from host Jimmy Kimmel.
Final Question Victory
The duo then tackled the final question: 'In an annual Thanksgiving tradition, all but which of these have been the names of turkeys pardoned by a U.S. president?' The choices were Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti & Meatball. Unsure, they asked Kimmel, who suggested Spaghetti & Meatball. After a call to a friend proved unhelpful, they risked it on Kimmel's tip. Confetti fell as they were confirmed correct, and they received a giant cheque for Affleck's foundation, the Eastern Congo Initiative, which supports peace and economic opportunity in Eastern Congo.
Competing with Matt Damon
The pressure was heightened because Affleck's best friend Matt Damon had won the same amount on the show a year earlier. During the $500k question, Affleck explained his reasoning, saying: '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.' Kimmel was impressed, quipping: 'So much smarter than Matt.' Affleck joins a handful of celebrity winners, including Ike and Alan Barinholtz in 2024 and Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery in 2025.
