Ben Affleck won the $1 million (£750,000) top prize on the celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on Wednesday night. The two-time Oscar winner teamed up with former Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding to secure the jackpot for his Eastern Congo Initiative, a charity he co-founded in 2010.
The Winning Question
The duo answered 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 multiple-choice options were "Peanut Butter & Jelly", "Tater & Tot", "Mac & Cheese", and "Spaghetti & Meatball."
Stumped, they used their Ask-The-Host lifeline to consult host Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy suggested the answer might be "Spaghetti & Meatball." Ben responded: "Actually, you're very good with cooking and food, current events, too. Actually, you might know this." Jimmy joked: "I could see me adding a big bowl in Donald Trump's hands and him slurping up the spaghetti and meatballs," before adding, "That one sounds like it wasn't the one to me."
The pair also called Jamie's friend Stephen Morrison, a fellow quizzer. Jamie quipped: "Jimmy, you might like this friend of mine. I mean, Harvard-educated, father, we're two years apart. But we've been through a lot of trials and tribulations together. Just like Ben and Matt." Jimmy, referencing his ongoing feud with Matt Damon, said: "Are you looking for trouble?" Morrison could not provide the correct answer, so Ben and Jamie made the final decision themselves.
They locked in "Spaghetti & Meatball" as their answer and were delighted to learn they had won the $1 million prize.
Previous Winners and Charity
In 2025, Matt Damon won the same prize alongside Ken Jennings. Other celebrity winners include The Office stars Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery, comedy actor Ike Barinholtz and his father Alan Barinholtz, and Chef David Chang.
The money will go to Affleck's Eastern Congo Initiative, which he co-founded with Whitney Williams. The non-profit aims to "support locally led organizations to expand access to essential services, strengthen economic opportunities, and promote justice." The website states: "Our work is designed to create scalable, sustainable impact across eastern Congo."
