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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

2 clusters · 33 sources · 5 days · First seen 7 days ago · Last updated 2 days ago

Categories: CULTURE

Ben Affleck game show charity win

Entities: Eastern Congo Initiative · Democratic Republic of the Congo · ABC · Democratic Republic of Congo · Jimmy Kimmel

Overview

In late July 2026, actor Ben Affleck appeared on the revived ABC game show *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire* with former *Jeopardy!* champion Jamie Ding. After answering a McDonald’s‑sandwich question on July 24 and winning $32,000 for the Eastern Congo Initiative, they progressed to the final two questions on July 30. The $1 million top‑prize question asked which of four food‑themed names had never been used for a U.S. presidential Thanksgiving turkey pardon. Using the “Ask the Host” lifeline, host Jimmy Kimmel suggested “Spaghetti & Meatball.” A brief Phone‑a‑Friend call to Ding’s trivia partner yielded no definitive answer, but the duo locked in the host’s suggestion, which proved correct. The full $1 million prize was pledged to Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative, reinforcing the blend of celebrity trivia and fundraising for communities in the war‑torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 21 SOURCES] Ben Affleck and Jamie Ding won $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. (Affleck and Ding secured the $1 million top prize on the July 30, 2026 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.)
[● 21 SOURCES] The final question asked which turkey name had never been used in a U.S. presidential Thanksgiving pardon tradition. (The question listed Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tater & Tot, Mac & Cheese and Spaghetti & Meatball.)
[● 20 SOURCES] The final question asked which turkey name had never been pardoned by a U.S. president; the correct answer was “Spaghetti & Meatball.” (affects)
[● 17 SOURCES] The win was on the July 30, 2026 episode of the show. (affects)
[● 17 SOURCES] Ben Affleck donated the $1 million prize to the Eastern Congo Initiative. (affects)
[● 17 SOURCES] Jimmy Kimmel suggested “Spaghetti & Meatball” as the answer to the final question. (affects)
[● 17 SOURCES] Jamie Ding used the Ask‑the‑Host and Phone‑a‑Friend lifelines during the game. (affects)
[● 17 SOURCES] The Eastern Congo Initiative supports community‑led projects in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. (affects)
[● 14 SOURCES] The $1 million prize was pledged to Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative. (The $1 million prize was pledged to Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative.)
[● 14 SOURCES] The Eastern Congo Initiative is a U.S.-based advocacy and grant‑making organization that supports community projects in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. (Existing claim)
[● 14 SOURCES] Affleck and Ding used the Ask‑the‑Host lifeline with host Jimmy Kimmel for the final question. (All articles)

Timeline

2 days ago

[CULTURE] 31 sources
Ben Affleck wins $1 million for Eastern Congo Initiative on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Ben Affleck and Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding won $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, donating the prize to the Eastern Congo Initiative after correctly answering the turkey‑pardon question on July 30,
7 days ago

[CULTURE] 2 sources
Ben Affleck admits frequent McDonald's habit on US game show
Ben Affleck told a US game‑show audience he eats McDonald’s “all the time,” helping win $32,000 for his charity after the crowd correctly chose the Filet‑O‑Fish sandwich.

Sources

apps-cloud.n-tv.de · arynews.tv · best-selling-cars.com · blick.ch · blog.slyon.de · dailymail.co.uk · deadlinehollywooddaily.com · eldiariodechihuahua.mx · equipaw.com · flash.gr · gala.de · govastileto.gr · halternerzeitung.de · hellomagazine.com · iltalehti.fi · imgl.krone.at · index.hr · nabu-bw.de · netflixjunkie.com · newsbomb.gr · promiflash.de · protothema.gr · rollingstone.com · rollingstone.de · slovenskenovice.si · swiatseriali.interia.pl · tennews.in · themirror.com · time.news · tlife.gr · tovima.gr · tz.de · zougla.gr

This summary has been updated 6 times: see revision history