“This dude is the Michael Jordan of trivia”: Matt Damon calls Ken Jennings the ultimate teammate in $1 million Millionaire win

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire aired a new episode on July 30, 2025, featuring a high-stakes trivia moment with Ken Jennings and surprise partner Matt Damon.

The duo successfully answered all 15 questions, winning the $1 million grand prize for Damon’s nonprofit, Water.org.

Jennings, best known as the longest-winning Jeopardy! contestant and its current host, appeared in the season 4 episode hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Damon’s arrival as Jennings’ partner caught Kimmel off guard, especially due to the long-running mock feud between the two celebrities.

As Damon joined the game, he remarked:

“This dude is the Michael Jordan of trivia,” comparing Jennings to the basketball legend.

The moment reflected both humor and confidence, setting the tone for the rest of the episode.

With only two questions left at the start of the episode, Jennings and Damon relied on their knowledge, a 50:50 lifeline, and even Kimmel’s input as host to reach the final prize.

Their win was met with confetti and applause, while Kimmel jokingly said he would “begrudgingly” shake Damon’s hand.

The episode not only featured a charitable win but also highlighted Jennings’ game-show legacy, Damon’s surprise entrance, and a comedic back-and-forth between all three men.

Jennings and Damon reach $1 million after strategic lifeline use in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

 

 

 

 

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This episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire began with Jennings and Damon facing their $500,000 question:

“With another career path already established, who got his first taste of the entertainment world when he entered a Steve Martin look-alike contest?”

The choices were Dr. Oz, Jerry Springer, Bill Nye, or Anthony Bourdain.

After debating, they used the “Ask the Host” lifeline. Kimmel pointed to Bill Nye, claiming, “I know the answer to this one.” Jennings and Damon went with his suggestion, which proved correct.

That left only one question: the $1 million finale. It asked:

“Which of these words is often used to describe one of the most beautiful auditory effects on Earth: the sound made by leaves of trees when wind blows through them?”

The options were Apricity, Petrichor, Susurrus, or Eudaemonia.

Jennings noted he already had “Susurrus” in mind even before seeing the choices. He also clarified that Petrichor meant “that rainy smell.” To confirm their instinct, they used the 50:50 lifeline, leaving only Susurrus and Petrichor.

The duo ultimately went with Susurrus and won the prize in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Kimmel jokingly called it “the least dramatic million-dollar moment in Millionaire history,” but the win was celebrated with confetti and cheers.

Damon’s surprise appearance adds to the rivalry in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Ken Jennings started his Millionaire journey in the July 23 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Kimmel introduced him by saying he may be “the greatest game-show contestant of all time,” referencing Jennings’ Jeopardy! record of 74 consecutive wins and over $2.5 million in regular-season earnings.

Jennings admitted to being nervous. He explained that Millionaire can be harder than Jeopardy! because, “if you don’t know a particular clue, you can just hang back… Here, a miss really can stop you.”

That was when Matt Damon entered as his trivia partner, surprising Kimmel. Damon said,

“This is like if you challenged me to a pick-up basketball game and I showed up at the park with Michael Jordan, ‘cause this dude is the Michael Jordan of trivia.”

Kimmel replied, “I look at it as if Michael Jordan showed up with a hemorrhoid.” Damon responded that he wasn’t on Jimmy Kimmel Live! but Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which he claimed was “way better.”

Their win was for Water.org, which Damon co-founded to help provide safe water globally. He told Jennings the money would help around 200,000 people. Kimmel closed the show by joking, “I’m begrudgingly going to shake your hand.”

Stay tuned for more updates.