After the tragedy: Ben Affleck won a million dollars on the game show
After a difficult personal period, the actor participated in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and used several lifelines to reach the grand prize. What was the million-dollar question, and what was happening behind the scenes?
Some wins feel far more significant than the check received at the end. Ben Affleck returned to the headlines this week after winning a million dollars on the American version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", but behind the moments of joy lies a particularly difficult personal period.
15 questions to a million
Affleck participated in the program alongside Jamie Ding, one of the prominent trivia champions from "Jeopardy!". The pair managed to answer all 15 questions correctly, securing the grand prize of one million dollars.
The money will not enter Affleck's bank account. The actor announced that the entire sum will be donated to the Eastern Congo Initiative, an organization he founded in 2010 that works to support communities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Affleck explained on the show that the organization continues to operate in the region today, addressing humanitarian challenges and disease outbreaks.
The turning point
The tension peaked at the half-million-dollar question, which concerned an incorrect forecast published in the past by the "New York Times" regarding the feasibility of flight.
"I remember it only because there was a period when I was looking for examples of cases where the media was wrong," Affleck recalled.
After using the 50:50 lifeline, the duo chose the correct answer and advanced to the final round. At the million-dollar question, the drama continued. Both participants chose to use the host's help, and Jimmy Kimmel assisted them with a question regarding the names given over the years to the turkeys that received a "pardon" from U.S. presidents. Affleck and Ding relied on Kimmel's intuition regarding "Spaghetti and Meatballs"—and they were right.
A year after Matt Damon
Affleck's win came almost a year after his close friend Matt Damon also won a million dollars on the same program. Damon donated his prize money to Water.org, while Affleck chose to direct his winnings to the organization he founded himself. Thus, the two old friends, who won an Oscar together for "Good Will Hunting," joined the short list of celebrities who have reached the show's grand prize.
Behind the smile, great pain
Alongside the celebrations, Affleck is dealing with a heavy personal loss. Recently, his mother, Chris Anne Affleck, passed away at the age of 83 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. According to family members, her final wish was to attend the high school graduation ceremony of her grandson, Atticus. She managed to do so and passed away in her sleep two days later.
Throughout the years, Chris was a significant figure in her son's career. Through her connections in the casting world, she helped him secure his first auditions and accompanied him throughout his professional path.
