article

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (also called simply Millionaire for short) is a television game show which offers very large cash prizes for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by production company Celador. The maximum cash prize (in the original British version) is one million pounds. Most international versions offer a top prize of one million units of the local currency, though the actual value of the prize varies widely, depending on the currency's exchange rate (mainly to the US dollar and/or euro).

The programme originated in the United Kingdom, where it is hosted by Chris Tarrant. It is based on a format devised by David Briggs, who, along with Steve Knight and Mike Whitehill, devised a number of the promotional games for Chris Tarrant's breakfast show on Capital FM radio. The original working title for the show was Cash Mountain.

When it first aired in the UK on September 4, 1998, it was a surprising twist on the gameshow genre. Only one contestant plays at a time (similar to some radio quizzes), and the emphasis is on suspense rather than speed. There is no time limit to answer questions, and contestants are given the question before they must decide whether to attempt an answer.

Ironically, given the large prizes that it offers, the show is named after a 1956 Cole Porter song which emphasized the desirability of love over material possessions: Who wants to be a millionaire? I don't. (...) And I don't 'cause all I want is you.

In March 2006, Celador announced that it was seeking to sell the worldwide rights to the show, together with the UK programme library, as the first phase of a sell-off of the company's format and production divisions. The Daily Mirror reports that Chris Tarrant is working with US investment company Carlyle Group to buy rights to the format for £100m.

Stage

The show is filmed in front of a studio audience who are arranged in circular tiers around a pit in which the action takes place. At the beginning of each show, the host introduces a group of ten contestants (6 in the Bulgarian and Iceland versions and 8 in the Armenian, Macedonian, and Nigerian versions), giving their names and where they are from. Each contestant brings along a friend, partner or relative (not to be confused with the phone-a-friend explained later), who sits in the audience and, if the contestant progresses, is periodically shown on camera looking pleased, excited, nervous etc.

Rules

The contestants first have to undergo a preliminary round, called "Fastest Finger First", where they are all asked to put four items in a particular order. (In the very first series of the British version, and until the end of the 2003 season in the Australian version, "Fastest Finger First" required the contestants to answer one multiple choice question correctly as quickly as possible.) The contestant who does this correctly and in the fastest time goes on to sit in the chair (the "hotseat") and play for the maximum possible prize (often a million in the local currency, though this depends on its value). This segments was cut after Meredith Veara took over the show as it moved to daytime TV in the US.

Once in the hotseat, the contestant is asked increasingly difficult general knowledge questions by the host. Questions are multiple choice: four possible answers are given and the contestant must choose the correct one. On answering the first question correctly, the contestant wins £100 (in the UK – other countries vary the currency but have the same basic format).

Subsequent questions are played for increasingly large sums (roughly doubling at each turn). During the first 3 questions, choice D is often a joke answer. The complete sequence of prizes is as follows:

  • £100
  • £200
  • £300
  • £500
  • £1,000
  • £2,000
  • £4,000
  • £8,000
  • £16,000
  • £32,000
  • £64,000
  • £125,000
  • £250,000
  • £500,000
  • £1,000,000. (These prizes are not cumulative; for example, by answering the first three questions correctly the contestant wins £300, not £100 + £200 + £300 = £600.)

After viewing a question, the contestant can "walk away" and "take the money" that they have already won, rather than attempting an answer. If the contestant answers a question incorrectly, then they lose all the money they have won, except that the £1,000 and £32,000 prizes are guaranteed: if a player gets a question wrong above these levels, then they drop down only to the previous guaranteed prize. This means that the player can always attempt the £2,000 and £64,000 without fear, since they are guaranteed the previous amount even if they get the answer wrong.

The game ends when the contestant answers a question incorrectly, decides not to answer the question, or answers all fifteen questions correctly, thus winning the top prize of £1,000,000.

Lifelines

If at any point the contestant is unsure of the answer to a question, he or she can use one or more "lifelines". After using lifelines, contestants can either answer the question, use another lifeline, or walk away and keep the money (except for the Double Dip lifeline).
  • Fifty-Fifty (50/50): The contestant asks the host to have the computer randomly eliminate two of the incorrect answer choices, leaving the contestant with a choice between the correct answer and one incorrect one from which to select.
    • Contestants who verbally debate between two answers, then elect to use the 50/50, will very often wind up with those two answers left, assuming one was correct. The American primetime host, Regis Philbin, often explained that the wrong answer left behind is usually the second best answer. On the other hand, the syndicated host Meredith Vieira frequently tells the computer to "randomly take away two wrong answers" when the 50/50 is used (although some more superstitious players seem to believe that the computer heard them while they were thinking aloud). The official line is that, in early series of the UK version, the eliminated answers were pre-selected by the question setters, but all versions of the show now eliminate random wrong answers, in the interest of fairness.

  • Ask the Audience: The contestant asks the studio audience which answer they believe is correct. Members of the studio audience indicate their choices by pressing the key on their keypad corresponding to the correct answer. The results of the audience's vote is immediately displayed on the contestant's and host's screens.

  • Phone-A-Friend: Contestants may call one of up to five pre-arranged friends. The contestant must provide the five friends' names and phone numbers in advance. The friends are alerted when their contestant reaches the hotseat, and are told to keep the phone free and to wait for three rings before answering. The contestant has thirty seconds to read the four choices to the friend who must select an answer before the time runs out. Phone-a-friends often express their certainty as a percentage ("I am 80% sure it's C.") In the event that a contestant has a disability which affects his or her ability to use this lifeline without assistance, the contestant will have the option of having the host read the question and answer choices to the friend, and obtain an answer from them. Phone-a-friends may not be called on cellular phones, and individuals participating as phone-a-friends may do so only once during Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

In February 2004, the U.S. launched a short-lived spinoff known as Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire?. On this particular version, two new lifelines were introduced, but they were only available after a contestant cleared the $100,000 question (the tenth question in this version):

  • Three Wise Men: The contestant asks a sequestered panel chosen by the sponsor which answer they believe is correct. The panel, consisting of three people, one being a former million-dollar-winner of the show, has thirty seconds to select an answer but does not need to reach a consensus-- each member of the panel may provide a different answer.

  • Double Dip: The contestant can give two answers for a question. However, once a contestant elects to use the Double Dip lifeline, the contestant cannot walk away from the question. The contestant must indicate and confirm that he or she intends to use this lifeline before giving a first answer. If the first answer is incorrect, the contestant gives another answer-- but if the second answer is also wrong, then the contestant will leave with only $100,000. If the first answer given is correct, the lifeline is still considered to have been used. Using a Double Dip after a 50/50 essentially gives the contestant a free shot at the question. The 50/50 eliminates all but two of the choices, and the Double Dip gives two chances to select the correct answer, ensuring a correct answer. The combination of 50/50 and Double Dip has never been used on the show, though.

In 2004, the syndicated U.S. version introduced another new lifeline:

  • Switch the Question: This lifeline becomes available only after the contestant has correctly answered the $25,000 question. If the contestant has not indicated final answer on the revealed question, this lifeline entitles the contestant to switch out the original question for another question of the same value. Once the contestant elects to use this lifeline, he or she cannot return to the original question. In addition, any lifelines used by the contestant while attempting to answer the original revealed question prior to the question switch will not be reinstated. This lifeline has also been used in occasional specials of the UK show, but referred to as Flip, after the similar option in The People Versus. It's now used in the French show, under the original American name.

Results

A win of £32,000 or higher is considered a good result; a win of less than £8,000 is relatively poor. Very occasionally a contestant fails to win any money at all. A list of million pound winners appears later in this article.

Origin

The game has similarities with the 1950's show The 64,000 Dollar Question. In that show the money won would also double with each question, and if the wrong answer was given all the money was lost. Contestants would get a free car as a consolation prize if they had reached at least $8,000.

In the 1990s, future Who Wants to be a Millionaire executive producer Michael Davies attempted to revive Question as The $640,000 Question for ABC, before abandoning that effort in favor of the British hit.

Misc.

The series also established a catchphrase with "Is that your final answer?" This question derived from a rule requirement that the player must clearly indicate his or her choice before it would be made official (since the nature of the game allowed the player to think aloud about the options before committing to an answer.) Many parodies of the game show capitalized on this phrase. (In the game, players could preempt the question by themselves stating "final answer" or some variant, and this is common during the early questions of each round; sometimes it is not even enforced during the early questions, although after realizing that some contestants could manage to answer the first few questions incorrectly, the "final answer" rule is employed throughout the entire show). Another hallmark of the show is the use of dramatic pauses before the host acknowledged whether or not the answer was correct. The pauses tended to become more tense the higher the amount of money on the line. Occasionally, if it is time to go for an advert break, Chris Tarrant will take the final answer but not announce if it is right or not until after the break.

There is also a Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

National variants

United Kingdom

The show is hosted by Chris Tarrant.

United States

The show has been broadcast primetime with Regis Philbin, and is currently hosted by Meredith Vieira.

Other countries

Although it originated in the United Kingdom, the format of show has subsequently been exported to many countries around the world. As of early 2003 the producers' website lists the following territories as having licensed the show: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium,Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Caribbean, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Middle East, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Here are some details of the differences in some of those countries:

Sportscaster Yoram Arbel

Spain

Turkey

Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Argentina May–December, 2001 ¿Quién quiere ser Millonario? Who wants to be a Millionaire Julián Weich, a locally famous game show host Canal 13 1,000,000 Argentine pesos Then US$ 1 million
Armenia Միլիոնատեր Milionatehr Millionaires Armenian actor Ashot Adamyan Shant TV 5,000,000 Armenian dram US$ 11,000
All payouts on this version are made via credit card
Australia 1999–2006 Eddie McGuire Prime television (now owned by Sky Network Television) New Zealand $1,000,000 Australian Dollars US$ 754,006 2
Formerly hosted by Eddie McGuire (April 18, 1999 - April 3, 2006), Australia's Millionaire aired once weekly on Nine Network. It was virtually identical in format to the British original. McGuire hosted a daily edition of the show in 2004, but the expanded format was cancelled after just 2 weeks. Rob "Coach" Fulton became the show's first millionaire on Monday, October 17, 2005. Just four weeks later, on Monday November 14, 2005, Martin Flood became the second million dollar winner. Several big wins by "professional" game show contestants who spent thousands of dollars ringing the competition line to get on the show led to a rule change in 2003 – only one phone call per person per week is now permitted. Another rule change occurred in 2006, in that with the Phone-A-Friend lifeline, it is against the rules to use reference material such as dictionaries, or internet search engines, in order to find the answer. The show is now on hold until they can find a new host (McGuire was made CEO of the Nine Network early in 2006), however, thanks to TV ads, rumor has it that Paul "Fatty" Vautin of "The Footy Show (NRL)" may be the new host. New Zealand residents are allowed to enter.
Austria - Pre-euro 2000–2001 Die Zehn Millionen Show The ten millions show Barbara Stöckl, Rainhard Freidrich (earlier)
Armin Assinger 		State television ORF 10,000,000 Austrian schillings € 726,728
Austria 2002– Die Millionenshow The millions show € 1,000,000
Uses the Cologne (Germany) set, which may cause problems for contestants who would like to "ask the audience" if the question happens to be about Austrian trivia.
Azerbaijan Dovalti olmaq isterdinmi milyonçu? Azar Abdulsalam Private television channel Lider TV 100,000,000 (pre-2006 currency reform) Azerbaijani manat US$ 22,000
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Belgium - French version - Pre-euro 1999–2001 ? ? Alain Simons RTL-TVI 10,000,000 Belgian francs € 247,894
Belgium - French version 2002– Qui sera millionnaire Who will be a millionaire € 1,000,000
Belgium - Flemish version - Pre-euro 1999–2001 Wie wordt multimiljonair Who will be a multi-millionaire Walter Grootaers VTM network 20,000,000 Belgian francs € 495,787
Belgium - Flemish version 2002– Wie wordt euromiljonair Who will be a euro-millionaire € 1,000,000
Bulgaria Кой иска да стане богат? Koy iska da stane bogat? Who wants to become rich? Niki Kanchev Nova Television 100,000 Bulgarian leva € 51,129
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000. It was earlier filmed in Romania. The show is almost always referred to as "Стани богат" ("Stani bogat", "Become rich").
Canada September, 2000 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire: Canadian Edition Pamela Wallin CTV
CTV network aired the United States (primetime) version for most of its run. But the Canadian Edition was taped on the ABC set in New York. A Canadian audience was flown to the city for the shows, so the contestants could "ask the audience" for help on the Canadian-themed questions. Following the airing of the two specials, CTV did announce that additional episodes of the Canadian Edition would be produced, but they never came to fruition. The syndicated American version can be seen in Canada on the A-Channel system in the evening, as well as through American channel feeds. It is also shown on ASN during the daytime.
Chile - Season 1 ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? Who wants to be a millionaire? Mario Kreutzberger (also known as Don Francisco) Canal 13 100,000,000 Chilean pesos US$ 180,000 1 (100 million pesos)
Chile - Season 2 Sergio Lagos 65,000,000 Chilean pesos US$ 120,000
Chile 2006 ¿Quién merece ser millonario? Who deserves to be a millonaire? Don Francisco ?
Mainland China See Hong Kong and Taiwan
Colombia ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? The channel's president, Paulo Laserna Phillips Private station Canal Caracol 210,000,000 Colombian pesos US$ 81,000
Croatia 2002– Tko želi biti milijunaš? Who wants to be a millionaire Tarik Filipović state television station HRT 1 1,000,000 Croatian kuna € 140,000 1
There are no commercial breaks during the show, except for one commercial break (as mandated by public television law).
Cyprus See Greece
Czech Republic Chcete Být Milionářem? Do you want to be a millionaire? Ondrej Hejma Private television Nova 10,000,000 Czech korunas € 350,000
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, 80,000, 160,000, 320,000, 640,000, 1,250,000, 2,500,000, 5,000,000
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Denmark 1999– Hvem vil være millionær? Who wants to be a millionaire TV star Peter Kjær TV2 1,000,000 Danish krone € 130,000 2
Estonia 2002– Kes tahab saada miljonäriks? Who wants to become a millionaire? Hannes Võrno Viasat TV3 1,000,000 Estonian kroons € 63,912
Ecuador ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? Who wants to be a millionaire? Alfonso Espinosa de los Montelos Ecuavisa US$ 25,000
Finland - Pre-euro 1999–2001 Haluatko miljonääriksi? Do you want to become a millionaire? Lasse Lehtinen Nelonen 1,000,000 Finnish marks € 168,188
Finland 2002–? ? ? ?
Finland 2005– Ville Klinga, a former sports reporter MTV3 € 1,000,000
France - Pre-euro Qui veut gagner des millions? Who wants to win millions? Jean-Pierre Foucault TF1 3,000,000 then 4,000,000 French francs € 457,347 then € 609,796 3 (all 4,000,000 F winners)
France 2002–? € 1,000,000 1
Georgia ვის უნდა 20000? Vis Unda 20000? Who wants 20000 Dimitri Skhirtlade Rustavi 2 20,000 Georgian lari US$ 11,000
Georgia suffers frequent power cuts—sometimes as frequently as every five minutes—so it can take a day to record a whole episode. Another obstacle is the studio, which is very basic—the lift carries only five people at a time, so getting the host, contestants, crew and audience into position is a laborious task.
Germany - Pre-euro 1999–2001 Wer wird Millionär? Who will become a millionaire? Günther Jauch RTL 1,000,000 German mark € 511,292 4
Germany 2002– € 1,000,000
The 500th show was screened on September 10 2005. The show is produced in Cologne.
Greece - Pre-euro Ποιος θέλει να γίνει εκατομμυριούχος Poios thelei na ginei ekatommyriouchos Who wants to be a millionaire? Spiros Papadopoulos commercial TV station Mega Channel for the first three years
New Hellenic Television, NET), one of the Greek Public Television (ERT) channels. Now again on Alpha Television. 		Cyprus, by RIK2, the second channel of Radio Institution of Cyprus 50,000,000 Greek drachmas € 146,735 3
Greece 2002–? € 150,000
Greece Now Thodoris Atheridis € 250,000
The rules of the new series have changed and there is now an option after the first milestone (€1000) to switch to another question but in doing so, one lifeline of the player's choice is sacrificed.
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Hong Kong 2001, 2002 and 2004 百萬富翁 The Millionaire Kenneth Chan ATV Mainland China 1,000,000 Hong Kong dollars US$ 129,000 1
The first series debuted on April 29, 2001, and was popular enough for a second series to begin airing on July 22, 2002. The first millionaire was the team with famous composer Wong Jim and actress Fung Po Po. The Hong Kong-produced version is also shown in China, and it therefore had to pass Chinese government censors. The program generated high enough ratings that at one point, the channel was showing fresh episodes every day of the week. Asia Television, the broadcasting network, was swamped with commercials during the hour the program aired.
Hungary 2000– Legyen Ön is milliomos! Be a millionaire! István Vágó RTL Klub, a Hungarian commercial TV station 25,000,000 (earlier)
40,000,000 Hungarian forints 		€ 89,000
€ 140,000 		1
Iceland 2000– Viltu vinna milljón? Do you want to win a million? Þorsteinn J (earlier)
Jónas R. Jónsson 		Stöð 2 5,000,000 Icelandic króna € 52,000
With Iceland having a population of only 296,000, the producers reduced the number of contestants playing "Fastest Finger First" from ten to six.
India 2000–2002 कौन बनेगा करोड़पति Kaun Banega Crorepati Who will become a multi-millionaire? Indian movie superstar Amitabh Bachchan Star TV 10,000,000 Indian rupees US$ 220,000
1 crore = 10 million in Indian numerals. It is considered one of the most successful shows on Indian TV and is watched around the world by Indian diaspora, as well as by people from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Mauritius, Fiji, East Africa, the UK, the US, etc. After the first episode had been broadcast, Star TV received 20 million phone calls from fans across the world.
India 2005–2006 Kaun Banega Crorepati the Second Who will become a multi-millionaire? (the Second) Indian movie superstar Amitabh Bachchan Star TV 20,000,000 Indian rupees US$ 430,000
A limited 85 episode series
  State of Kerala Koteeswaram or Kodeeswaran Multi-millionaire Malayalam actor Mukesh Surya TV
Indonesia Who wants to be a millionaire?" Tantowi Yahya Once a week on RCTI 1,000,000,000 Indonesian rupiah US$ 110,000
In Indonesian milyar means "billion" – million being juta. There have been two contestants who left with 500 million rupiahs (but have not tried for the billion-rupiah prize).
Ireland - Pre-euro Gay Byrne RTÉ 1,000,000 Irish pounds € 1,269,738
Ireland 2002–mid-2002 € 1,000,000
Ran until mid-2002, when the sponsoring mobile phone company withdrew. Without a sponsor, the show was deemed unviable – and the expensive set put into storage. The biggest winner was Roger Dowds, who won £250,000 in 2001.
Israel ?מי רוצה להיות מיליונר Mi rotseh lehyot mylyoner? Who wants to be a millionaire? Channel 2 Israel (earlier)
Channel 10 		1,000,000 Israeli new sheqels US$ 220,000 5
But it is often referred to as "Millionaire". On the first occasion when a contestant won the highest prize, the host danced around the middle of the studio stripping, as a mark of respect.
Italy - Pre-euro Chi vuol essere miliardario? Who wants to be a billionaire? Gerry Scotti Canale 5 1,000,000,000 Italian lira € 516,457
Italy 2002– Chi vuol essere milionario? Who wants to be a millionaire? € 1,000,000 2
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Japan 2000– クイズ $ ミリオネア Kuizu $ Mirionea Quiz $ Millionaire Mino Monta (Norio Minorikawa) Fuji TV 10,000,000 Japanese yen US$ 86,000 20
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 50,000, 100,000, 150,000, 250,000, 500,000, 750,000, 1,000,000, 1,500,000, 2,500,000, 5,000,000, 7,500,000, 10,000,000. The rules are the same as the original. Presenter Mino Monta uses the English phrases from the original show, such as "Fainaru ansah" ("Final Answer?"), in the quiz.
Kazakhstan 2002– Кто возмет миллион? Who will take the million? Serik Akishev Khabar television 5,000,000 Kazakhstani tenge US$ 42,000 2
Here there are two versions of the game in different languages.
Latvia 2002– Gribi būt miljonārs? Do you want to be a millionaire? Mārtiņš Ķibilds, a Latvian journalist TV3 20,000 Latvian lats € 28,457 1
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 125, 250, 500, 1,250, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000. The show is filmed in the Lithuanian set. 20,000 lats is 2 million santims (equivalent of cents)
Lithuania 2002–2005 Kas laimės milijoną? Who will win the million? Journalist Henrikas Vaitiekūnas (earlier)
Vytautas Kernagis, a famous Lithuanian singer and host of other shows 		TV3 1,000,000 Lithuanian litas € 289,620
At 2005 show was canceled due to its unpopularity.
Macedonia The show is taped in the Bulgarian studio, as the Bulgarian producers have the license both for the Bulgarian and Macedonian version.
Malaysia Jalalludin Hassan, famous for playing the roles of millionaires in Malaysian TV dramas Television network NTV7 1,000,000 Malaysian ringgit US$ 270,000
Middle East and North Africa من سيربح المليون Man sa yarbah al-malyoon Who will win the million? George Kurdahi MBC1, the first channel in Middle East. Retransmited in Egypt by Channel 1. In Lebanon by Future Television. And pay-per-view channel ART 1,000,000 Saudi riyals US$ 266,616 2
2005–? من سيربح 2 مليون Man sa yarbah 2 malyoon Who will win 2 million? 2,000,000 Saudi riyals US$ 533,234
It was originally filmed and produced in London, a local Arab audience being flown in each time. Now the show is filmed in Beirut (Earlier, it was filmed in London, Paris and Cairo) and retransmited in Lebanon by LBC network.
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Netherlands - Pre-euro Weekend Miljonairs (earlier)
Lotto Weekend Miljonairs 		Weekend millionaires (earlier) Robert ten Brink first on SBS 6, but moved to RTL 4 in 2006 1,000,000 Dutch gulden € 453,780
Netherlands 2002–? € 1,000,000
The name is now changed to the sponsored name "Lotto Weekend Miljonairs", because it also features the results of the Lotto, which is a type of bingo lottery.
New Zealand See Australia
Nigeria 2004– Who wants to be a millionaire? Frank Edoho Once weekly on NTV 5,000,000 Nigerian naira US$ 39,000
Norway 2000– Vil du bli millionær Do you want to become a millionaire? Arve Juritzen (earlier)
Frithjof Wilborn 		TV2 2,000,000 Norwegian krone € 250,000
Peru 2001–2002 ¿Quién quiere ser Millonario? Guido Lombardi, a well-known news anchor Only one season on Canal 5 1,000,000 Peruvian nuevos soles US$ 310,000
A second season was promised but due to internal problems at the network this never happened.
Philippines 2000–2002 Christopher De Leon IBC 13 1,000,000 Philippine pesos (earlier)
2,000,000 Philippine pesos 		US$ 19,000
US$ 38,000 		2
The first million peso winner was university professor Amy Lopez-Forbes in July 2001. A celebrity edition was aired in December 2001. Popular actress-singer Sharon Cuneta won the million peso jackpot for her favourite charities. The show lost its popularity soon after its original studio was razed by a fire, and is now off the air.
Poland 1999–2003 Milionerzy Millionaires Hubert Urbanski TVN 1,000,000 Polish złotych € 240,000
Portugal - Pre-euro Quem quer ser milionário? Who wants to be a millionaire? Carlos Cruz
Maria Elisa
Diogo Infante
Jorge Gabriel 		RTP1 50,000,000 Portuguese escudos € 249,399 4
Portugal € 250,000
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Romania Vrei sa fii miliardar? Do you want to be a billionaire? Virgil Ianţu Prima TV 1,000,000,000 Romanian lei € 28,000
Romania Vrei sa fii miliarnar? 1,000,000 Romanian new lei € 280,000
Russia - Earlier 1999–? О, счастливчик Oh, lucky man Dmitry Dibrov NTV channel 1,000,000 Russian rubles
recently increased to 3,000,000 		€ 29,000
€ 88,000 		3
Russia Кто хочет стать миллионером? Who wants to become a Millionaire? Maksim Galkin private ORT
Added "Walkaway" SMS game, when a player refuses to answer the question.
Serbia Želite li da postanete milioner? Do you want to become a millionaire? Ivan Zeljković BKTV 3,000,000 Serbian dinara € 35,000
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 300, 600, 900, 1,500, 3,000, 6,000, 12,000, 24,000, 48,000, 96,000, 192,000, 375,000, 750,000, 1,500,000
Singapore - English language Radio DJ Max Von Cluyberg, better known as "The Flying Dutchman" MediaCorp 1,000,000 Singapore dollars US$ 630,000
Singapore - Chinese language 百万大赢家 Bai wan da ying jia" Million-dollar winner Taiwanese compere Chao Chi-Tai
Slovakia Milionár Millionaire Martin Nikodým Private TV station, TV Markíza 10,000,000 Slovak korunas € 260,000
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, 80,000, 160,000, 320,000, 640,000, 1,250,000, 2,500,000, 5,000,000
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Slovenia Lepo je biti milijonar It's good to be a Millionaire Jonas Žnidaršič (earlier)
Boštjan Romih 		POP TV 10,000,000 Slovenian tolarjev (earlier)
15,000,000 SIT 		€ 41,729
€ 62,594 		1
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, 50,000, 100,000, 175,000, 250,000, 500,000, 1,000,000, 1,500,000, 2,500,000, 5,000,000, 7,500,000
South Africa Jeremy Maggs M-Net channel 1,000,000 South African rands US$ 130,000 2
The 'M' of the word 'Millionaire' in the logo was the 'M' logo of M-Net. This version was also the first outside the US to have a jackpot winner.
Spain - Pre-euro 1999–2001 ¿Quiere ser millonario?, 50x15 Do you want to be a millionaire?, 50 for 15 Carlos Sobera Telecinco 50,000,000 Spanish pesetas € 300,506
Prize Progression (w/o the final): ₧ 25,000, ₧ 50,000, ₧ 75,000, ₧ 150,000, ₧ 300,000, ₧ 350,000, ₧ 450,000, ₧ 600,000, ₧ 750,000, ₧ 1,500,000, ₧ 3,000,000, ₧ 6,000,000, ₧ 12,000,000, ₧ 24,000,000 Contestants could win 50 million Spanish pesetas for answering 15 questions
2005–? ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? Who wants to be a millionaire? Carlos Sobera Antena 3 € 1,000,000
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 100, 200, 300, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 6,500, 10,000, 15,000, 25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 300,000
Sweden 1999–2003 Vem vill bli miljonär? Who wants to be a millionaire? Bengt Magnusson TV4 10,000,000 Swedish krona € 1,100,000 1
TV4 stopped broadcasting the show because they could not afford the prizes.
Sweden 2005– Postkodmiljonären The postal code-millionare Rickard Sjöberg TV4 1,000,000 Swedish krona € 110,000
Combined with the Swedish Postcode Lottery in a twice-weekly format
Switzerland 2001 Wer wird Millionär Who will become a millionaire? René Rindlisbacher private Swiss station TV3 1,000,000 Swiss Francs € 639,600
When TV3 stopped broadcasting in 2001, the show disappeared from the local screens. Swiss candidates have since been spotted on the German show.
Countries/Regions Year Local Name Transliteration Translation Host Aired on Also shown in Final Prize
In Local Currency Approx. eq Winner
Taiwan 超級大富翁 Chao ji da fu weng Super rich person Mainland China 1,000,000 New Taiwan dollars US$ 31,000
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 16,000, 32,000, 64,000, 125,000, 250,000, 500,000. Unlike most other versions, there is a time limit of 30 seconds per question (also used in video game versions of Millionaire), and there are no milestone prize levels; an incorrect answer simply yields a final prize of half the value of the last question that was answered correctly.
Thailand เกมเศรษฐ Millionaire Game 1,000,000 Thai baht US$ 26,000
Thailand - Another version เกมเศรษฐี: เดอะแชมเปี้ยน Millionaire Game: The Champion 2,000,000 Thai baht US$ 52,000
Turkey 2000-2004 Kim 500 (beşyüz) milyar ister? Who wants 500 billions? Kenan Işik Show TV
Then Kanal D 		500 billion Turkish lira € 230,000
2005 Kim 500 (beşyüz) bin ister? Who wants 500 thousands? Show TV 500,000 Turkish new lira
Prize Progression (w/o the final): 50, 100, 150, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 8,000, 16,000, 32,000, 64,000, 125,000, 250,000
Ukraine Хто хоче стати мiльонером? - Перший мільйон Khto khoche stati mil'onerom? - Pershiy mil'yon Who wants to be a Millionaire? – The first million Danilo Janevsky Commercial channel 1+1 1,000,000 Ukrainian hryvnia € 160,000
As in Russia, there is no "Ask the Audience" because the audience gives wrong answers in order to deceive contestants.
Uruguay ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? who wants to be a millionaire? Andrés Tulipano 1,000,000 Uruguayan pesos US$ 42,000
Contestants are paid in US dollars. The show was broadcast only one year.
Venezuela ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? Who wants to be a millionaire? its president, Eladio Lares RCTV 200,000,000 Venezuelan bolívars US$ 93,000
Its producers claim it to be the most popular programme in Venezuela
Vietnam 4 Jan 2005 Ai là triệu phú? Who is the millionaire? Lại Vǎn Sâm state television station VTV 3 100,000,000 Vietnamese đồng US$ 6,250

Million winners

Winners of the major prize for each version of the show are:

United Kingdom (In chronological order, together with original broadcast date)

Another UK contestant Charles Ingram was denied his £1 million prize, after it was discovered that he had cheated. Ingram would repeat each possible answer in turn and receive a signal in the form of a cough from accomplice Tecwen Whittock, who was in the audience. The show would have been broadcast on 18 September 2001.

United States (Prime time and Syndicated versions) in order of winning

In addition, Robert Essig won $1,000,000 on Super Millionaire on 23 February 2004, but didn't win the top prize of $10,000,000.

Middle East and North Africa

  • Khaled al-Mulla (خالد الملا), from United arab Emirates, 21 November2001
  • Mohammad Tanirah (محمد تنيرة), student of pharmacy from Gaza strip, March 2002
  • Marwa Anachar (مروة النشار) won 1.000.000 Saudi riyals, the second highest prize on the new version of the show "who will win 2 million" 2006. Marwa is a Software Developer from Egypt (Port Said) and she owns a software company in Egypt called Vision Soft. She also speaks two languages (English and French) and has two boys (twins).

Australia

Philippines

  • Amy Lopez-Forbes, July 2001
  • Sharon Cuneta, movie actress and singer, December 2001 (Celebrity Edition)

Portugal

  • Renata Morgado, May 2000
  • Ana Damásio, September 2000
  • José Fernandes, April 2001
  • Antônio Franco, December 2003

Hungary

Italy

  • Davide Vincita

Japan

Croatia

Bulgaria

  • Asen Angelov answered the major prize question and was awarded 100 000 levs, but soon returned them, when it became clear that his daughter - Iskra Angelova was working in Nova TV (the TV that airs the show), which is against the rules.

Slovenia

South Africa

  • David Patterson
  • Anna Tran

Russia

Latvia

  • Elita Rumpe, 2003 (won 10,000 Lats, as then 10,000, not 20,000 Lats was value of 15th question)

India

  • Harshwardhan Navathe (winner of KBC started in 2000)
  • Brajesh Dubey (First winner of 1 crore rupees in KBC2; started in 2005 with a maximum prize money of 2 crore rupees)
  • Ravi Saini (winner of KBC Junior)

Sweden

See also

External links

Original UK version

http://www.paulthemagician.ie/magic/tricks.html Check out the US version and play other cool games

National variants

Miscellaneous

Internet Movie Database pages

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Game shows | Irish television programmes | Australian game shows | Nielsen Ratings winners

من سيربح المليون ؟ | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? | Kiu volas esti milionulo? | Qui veut gagner des millions ? | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Chi vuol essere milionario? | מי רוצה להיות מיליונר | Kas laimės milijoną? | Lotto Weekend Miljonairs *] Milionerzy | Quem Quer Ser Milionário? | Haluatko miljonääriksi? | Vem vill bli miljonär? | 百萬富翁

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world