Ben Affleck and Jamie Ding won US$1 million on the ABC game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' on Wednesday, July 29, with the prize money going to the Eastern Congo Initiative, a nonprofit co-founded by Affleck in 2010.
The winning question asked contestants to name the turkeys pardoned by a US president. The options were Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tater and Tot, Mac and Cheese, and Spaghetti and Meatball. The contestants used their Phone-A-Friend lifeline to contact Stephen Morrison. Host Jimmy Kimmel suggested Spaghetti and Meatball, which turned out to be correct.
Probably the best person in the world to ask this question to.
Kimmel said of the moment when Affleck realized the answer: "But when I told him, he seemed surprised and delighted." Affleck, 53, praised the friend's knowledge.
The Eastern Congo Initiative, co-founded by Affleck and Whitney Williams, focuses on creating scalable and sustainable impact in eastern Congo. The organization stated: "Our work is designed to create scalable, sustainable impact across eastern Congo."
Prize money won for charity, equivalent to S$1.28 million.
This is not the first time a celebrity has won big on the show for a cause. Matt Damon won the top prize last year with Ken Jennings, donating to Water.org.