Ben Affleck and Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding triumphed on Wednesday’s episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — winning $1 million for charity. The win arrives a year after his Good Will Hunting co-star and longtime collaborator Matt Damon also took
the top prize.
In a dramatic moment, Affleck and Ding were faced with the final question and challenged to correctly guess which turkeys were not pardoned a U.S. president (a Thanksgiving tradition by formalized by President George H.W. Bush in 1989). Choosing between Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti & Meatball, the duo called on host Jimmy Kimmel as their lifeline. When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer. Left with little to go on, the pair went with Kimmel’s reluctant guess. “I would bet on Jimmy,” Affleck said. “I would go for it.”
With $1 million hanging in the balance, Ding gave Spaghetti & Meatball as their final answer. “I have such a stomach ache right now,” Kimmel said, echoing the anxiety on the Ding and Affleck’s faces. After an exceptionally long pause, during which Affleck looked around the room in bewilderment, a drum roll signaled their victory. The winners jumped from their seats and hugged as confetti poured around them.
Kimmel handed them a massive $1 million check that will go toward Affleck’s foundation, the Eastern Congo Initiative, which he started with entrepreneur Whitney Williams in 2009 to support community-based organizations and advocate for greater international visibility in eastern Congo.
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