# History and format evolution of Ai Là Triệu Phú

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/history-and-format-evolution-of-ai-l-triu-ph
> Updated: 2026-10-18T01:48:42.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

The Vietnamese game show ‘Ai Là Triệu Phú’, based on the ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ format, has maintained a long broadcasting history since its premiere on January 4, 2005. Early milestones include the first contestant, Nguyễn Đức Thắng, reaching question 12, and a 2018 instance where a contestant required a lifeline on the very first question.

In 2020, the program underwent format updates to its lifelines. Driven by a desire to refresh the show and the necessity of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Ask the Studio Audience’ and ‘Ask the Local Advisory Group’ options were replaced. In collaboration with UK-based rights holders, the show introduced ‘Ask a Companion’ and ‘The Wise Man’ lifelines to ensure production could continue without a live studio audience.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-18: Ai Là Triệu Phú updates game show lifelines

The game show ‘Ai Là Triệu Phú’ replaced two traditional lifelines with ‘Ask a Companion’ and ‘The Wise Man’ in 2020 to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions and refresh its long-running format.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ai-l-triu-ph-updates-game-show-lifelines

### 2026-10-16: Ai Là Triệu Phú: Key milestones in the show's history

Historical highlights from the Vietnamese game show ‘Ai Là Triệu Phú’ include the first contestant, Nguyễn Đức Thắng, and rare instances of players needing lifelines on the very first question.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nguyen-duc-thang-identified-as-first-contestant-in-ai-la-trieu-phu-history

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Cite as: History and format evolution of Ai Là Triệu Phú. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/history-and-format-evolution-of-ai-l-triu-ph