SPOILER ALERT: This story accommodates spoilers for Season 5, Episode 2 of “Who Desires to Be a Millionaire,” which aired on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Ben Affleck has joined the pantheon of superstar winners of “Who Desires to Be a Millionaire,” taking residence the highest prize with a bit (or quite a bit) of assist from “Jeopardy!” champion Jamie Ding.
Affleck conquered the $1 million query nearly precisely one yr after his “Good Will Looking” co-star and finest bud Matt Damon did the identical. Damon was equally paired with a “Jeopardy!” wiz — present host Ken Jennings — who helped him attain the highest prize for charity.
The cash from Affleck and Ding’s victory will go towards Affleck’s Japanese Congo Initiative, the primary U.S.-based advocacy and grant-making group devoted to supporting the folks residing within the African area.
Within the last query, Affleck and Ding needed to guess which turkeys weren’t pardoned by a U.S. president: A) Peanut Butter & Jelly; B) Tater & Tot; C) Mac & Cheese; D) Spaghetti & Meatball. Not realizing the reply, the contestants used their lifeline to ask host Jimmy Kimmel. Whereas Kimmel stated he was not 100% certain, he guessed the reply as Spaghetti & Meatball. Affleck and Ding then used one other lifeline to telephone a pal, which was Ding’s longtime trivia associate Stephen Morrison. Morrison didn’t know the reply both and declined to guess, which led Affleck to recommend they need to go along with Kimmel’s guess. “I might wager on Jimmy,” he stated. “I might go for it.”
As Ding locked within the reply, with $1 million for charity on the road, Kimmel stated, “I’ve such a abdomen ache proper now.” After an extended second of suspense, the present revealed Spaghetti & Meatball to be the right reply. As confetti rained down on the studio, Affleck and Ding jumped for pleasure and hugged, with genuinely shocked appears painted on their faces.
Affleck and Ding are the fifth winners of “Who Desires to Be a Millionaire” throughout Kimmel’s tenure, which started in April 2020. David Chang grew to become the primary winner of the present’s new iteration in November 2020, adopted by superstar pairs Ike and Alan Barinholtz in August 2024, Damon and Jennings in July 2025 and “The Workplace” stars Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery in September 2025.
In July, Kimmel instructed Number of the Affleck-Ding duo, “I’m undecided Ben knew that he was paired with a champion when he agreed to do the present. However after I instructed him, he appeared stunned and delighted. I believe he was ready to do it on his personal. He’s very sensible, that Ben Affleck.”
Watch the second Affleck and Ding gained the $1 million beneath.
