‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’: Every $1 Million Winner

ABC/Disney

Who wants to be a millionaire? Fifteen people, apparently. Fifteen pairs and/or people, including celebrities, have all won the $1 million prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

With the recent addition of Jamie Ding and Ben Affleck winning $1 million for their charity, it seems like a good time to look back at everyone who has taken home the grand prize.

The only difference is that the celebrities win the money for charity, whereas the non-famous people take home the cash for themselves. The game show has aired 17 seasons in various iterations, but the feeling of winning $1 million never changes.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has contestants answering a certain number of multiple-choice questions. Every time the money goes up, the questions get harder.

Tune into the rest of this season to see if anyone else is added to the list. Here’s who has won so far.

John Carpenter  — 1999

John Carpenter was the first person to win $1 million on the game show. His $1 million question was “Which of these U.S. presidents appeared on the television series, Laugh-In?” The options were Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, or Gerald Ford.

He used his Phone-a-Friend lifeline and called his dad. As the clock counted down, he told them, “I don’t really need your help. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to win the $1 million.”

Carpenter locked in Richard Nixon and was correct, winning the $1 million.

Dan Blonksy — 2000

Dan Blonsky was the second person ever to win $1 million on the show. The question was “The Earth is approximately how many miles away from the sun?”

The choices were 9.3 million, 39 million, 93 million, or 193 million miles. Blonsky shared that he took astronomy in college and he thought it was 93 million miles. He locked that in and was correct.

Joe Trela — 2000

The turn of the century had a big payout for Millionaire. The second person to win in that year was Joe Trela.

The question was “Which insect shorted out an early supercomputer and inspired the term ‘computer bug?’” The choices were moth, roach, fly, or Japanese beetle.

Trela thought for a very long time. He eventually told host Regis Philbin that he thinks he knows it. Trela was stuck between a moth and a roach. He went with moth and was correct.

Bob House — 2000

In June of 2000, Bob House became the third person that year to win the top prize. The $1 million question was “Which of the following men does not have a chemical element named for him?”

The options were Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Issac Newton, or Enrico Fermi. Right away, House asked to use the 50/50, which left him with Einstein and Newton. He then used his Phone-a-Friend, a science teacher he worked with. His friend said she thought it was Newton.

House locked in Newton and was right!

Kim Hunt — 2000

A high school teacher, Kim Hunt, won the $1 million in July 2000. The question read: “Which of the following landlocked countries is entirely contained within another country?” The options were Lesotho, Burkina Fosso, Mongolia, or Luxembourg.

Hunt narrowed it down to the first two. He said he was pretty sure only one of them was landlocked, but not entirely sure. But Hunt thought it was Lesotho, so he locked it in. Hunt was right, taking home the prize.

David Goodman — 2000

The final $1 million win of that year went to David Goodman in July 2000. “In the children’s book series, where is Paddington Bear originally from?” was the question.

Goodman had used the 50/50 and got the choice down to Peru and Iceland. He locked in Peru and would buy a new car with his winnings when he was right.

Kevin Olmstead — 2001

Kevin Olmstead became the show’s highest winner when he won $2,180,000. During this iteration of the show, each question increased by $10,000.

The question was “Who is credited with inventing the first mass-produced helicopter?” The choices were Igor Sikorsky, Elmer Sperry, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, or Gottlieb Daimler.

He knew right away that it was a Sikorsky helicopter. Olmstead locked it in and became the show’s highest winner to date.

Bernie Cullen — 2001

Just a few days after Olmstead won, Bernie Cullen took home $1 million. The question read: “What letter must appear at the beginning of the registration number of all non-military aircraft in the U.S.?”

The choices were N, A, U, or L. Cullen decided to Ask the Audience. They chose N. He then picked the 50/50, and it narrowed it down to N and U. He locked in N and won the $1 million.

Ed Toutant — 2001

Toutant originally appeared on January 31, 2001, when the jackpot was at $1,860,000, and his game ended after answering his $16,000 question wrong, leaving him with $1,000 after having initially won $8,000, thus losing $7,000 with the wrong answer.

However, it was determined that there was an error in the question, so he was invited back and began with a new $16,000 question. Toutant went on to win the jackpot as it was at the time of his first appearance. He was the last contestant to win the top prize during Philbin’s tenure as host, and the last in the original primetime version of Millionaire.

The question was “During WWII, U.S. soldiers used the first commercial aerosol cans to hold what?” The choices were cleaning fluid, antiseptic, insecticide, or shaving cream. Toutant used his 50/50, which left him with insecticide and antiseptic. He locked in insecticide and was right.

Kevin Smith — 2003

Kevin Smith became the first to win $1 million on the syndicated version and under Meredith Vieira as host. The $1 million question was “The U.S. Icon Uncle Sam was based on Samuel Wilson, who worked during the War of 1812 as a what?” The choices were meat inspector, mail deliverer, historian, or weapons mechanic.

Smith locked in meat inspector after talking it over. He won the $1 million, and Vieira was so excited for him.

Nancy Christy — 2003

Aside from celebrity contestants, Nancy Christy is the only female to win $1 million on the show. She held the record until 2025 when Kate Flannery won.

The question was “Who did artist Grant Wood use as the model for the farmer in his classic painting ‘American Gothic?’” The choices were a traveling salesman, a local sheriff, his dentist, ot his butcher.

She chose his dentist and made history.

David Chang — 2020

Celebrity chef David Chang made history as the first celebrity contestant to win $1 million on the show. He phoned his friend, now Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, Mina Kimes, to help him answer the $1 million for Southern Smoke Foundation.

The question was “Although he and his wife never touched a light switch for fear of being shocked, who was the first president to have electricity in the White House?” The options were Ulysses S. Grant,  Benjamin Harrison, Chester A. Arthur, or Andrew Johnson. Kimes said that it was probably Harrison.

Chang locked in Benjamin Harrison after much debate. He was correct and the $1 million,

Ike and Alan Barinholtz — 2024

After already having won Celebrity Jeopardy!, Ike Barinholtz tried to test his luck at another game show. This time, he brought his father, Alan, with him, and together they won the $1 million for the ASL Program at Los Encinos School, where Ike’s nephew attends.

The question was “Not including banks or bonus spaces, the highest-valued three-letter Scrabble word is ‘zax,’ which is a what?” The options were a rare species of African antelope, a ceramic container for Holy Water, a letter in the Arabic alphabet, or a tool for cutting roofing slates.

They decided to use their Ask the Audience lifeline. The audience picked the African antelope, even though the father/son duo thought it was the roofing slates. They decided to Ask the Host Jimmy Kimmel, and he said he also thought it was roofing slates. Kimmel won a celebrity Scrabble tournament and used that word. They decided to lock in roofing slates and were right, winning the $1 million.

Ken Jennings and Matt Damon — 2025

Did Jeopardy! fans expect anything less from the GOAT? Ken Jennings and his partner, Matt Damon, took home the grand prize on Season 4. They played for Water.org.

The question read, “Which of these words is often used to describe one of the most beautiful auditory effects on Earth: the sound made by the leaves of trees when wind blows through them?” The options were Apricity, Petrichor, Susurrus, and Eudaemonia.

“You want to know what’s a good sign?” Ken Jennings said. “Before the options came up, I thought, ‘It’s like suration or something before susurrus popped up. I have a really good feeling about C.” They went with susurrus after using their 50/50 Lifeline and got it right, winning the $1 million.

Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery — 2025

Those who work in the office together win $1 million together. On the Season 4 finale, Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery, who were on The Office together, won the $1 million. The final question read: “The word ‘planet’ comes from an ancient Greek word that literally means what?” The four options were powerful, immortal, stranger, or wanderer.

The final question read: “The word ‘planet’ comes from an ancient Greek word that literally means what?” The four options were powerful, immortal, stranger, or wanderer.

Flannery was pretty confident the answer was wanderer, and locked it in. Luckily, she went with her gut because she was correct.

Ben Affleck and Jamie Ding — 2026

Jeopardy!‘s Jamie Ding and actor Ben Affleck are the most recent addition to the $1 million club. They won for the Eastern Congo Initiative. The team won one year after Affleck’s best friend, Matt Damon, and Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings took home the prize.

The $1 million question was “In an annual Thanksgiving tradition, all but which of these have been the names of turkeys pardoned by a U.S. president?” The options were Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tater and Tot, Mac and Cheese, and Spaghetti and Meatball.

After using the Phone-a-Friend and Ask The Hosts lifelines, the men went with Spaghetti and Meatball. They were correct and celebrated with a big hug.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Wednesdays, 8/7c, ABC