John Carpenter (game show contestant) facts for kids

John Carpenter was born on December 24, 1967. He is famous for being the very first person to win the top prize on the American TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. This made him the first millionaire winner in the entire Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? TV show family around the world.

John Carpenter also worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is a government agency that collects taxes. He became one of the highest-earning game show contestants in American history. For a while, he held the record for the biggest single win on a U.S. game show.

On November 19, 1999, John Carpenter appeared on Millionaire. He answered many questions and reached the final, million-dollar question without needing any help. He then used a special lifeline called "Phone-a-Friend." But he didn't call his dad for help with the question. Instead, he called just to tell him he was about to win the game! John answered the question correctly and became the show's first millionaire. His big win made him famous, and he appeared on many TV talk shows.

John Carpenter's Early Life and Job

John Carpenter grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. His dad, Tom, worked with computers for the government. His mom, Gail, was an assistant for a nature group.

In 1986, John started college at Rutgers University. He studied economics and finished his degree in 1990. In 1991, he started working for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This is where he helps collect taxes for the government.

In 1996, John met his future wife, Deborah. They got married in 1998. When he appeared on Millionaire, he was 31 years old. The audience playfully booed him when he said he worked for the IRS, but it was all in fun! John Carpenter still works for the IRS today.

His Big Win on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

At first, John Carpenter wasn't very interested in Millionaire. But one night, he watched it with friends and realized the questions weren't too hard. So, he decided to try out for the show. He answered all the try-out questions correctly and was on the show very quickly.

The show's host, Regis Philbin, said that John "cruised right through those first fourteen questions." This meant John reached the final question without using any of his lifelines. The last question, worth $1 million, was: "Which of these U.S. Presidents appeared on the television series Laugh-In?" The choices were Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford.

John used his "Phone-A-Friend" lifeline to call his dad. But he didn't need help with the answer. He just wanted to tell his dad he was about to win a million dollars! John later said he thought it would look too confident if he didn't use any lifelines, so he pretended to need help.

With his correct answer, John Carpenter became the first person in the world to win the top prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He said the only question that made him nervous was about the location of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He remembered the movie Tombstone and correctly answered 'Tombstone, Arizona'. After his big win, John thought about quitting his job. But he decided to keep working at the IRS. He explained that after taxes, the money wasn't enough to stop working forever. He also said that being famous had a bigger impact on his life than the money itself.

What Happened After the Win

Soon after winning Millionaire, John Carpenter appeared on the comedy show Saturday Night Live. He played himself in a funny skit. He also appeared on other popular TV shows like Good Morning America and Oprah Winfrey Show.

John Carpenter also appeared as himself in an episode of the TV series Oz. He was a contestant on a fake game show that the characters in Oz were watching.

In 2002, John Carpenter helped write a trivia book. It was called Matching Wits With the Million-Dollar Mind.

Other Game Show Appearances

In 2000, John Carpenter played again on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Champions Edition. In this special version, past winners played to win more money for charity. John won an extra $250,000, bringing his total Millionaire winnings to $1,250,000!

He also appeared on other game shows. In 2004, he was one of the "Three Wise Men" on Super Millionaire. He also played on 1 vs. 100 and Grand Slam.

John Carpenter returned to Millionaire for its tenth anniversary in 2009. His family was in the audience with him. He also became an "Ask the Expert" helper for the show. In 2024, he was in the audience again for the show's 25th anniversary.

See also

In Spanish: John Carpenter (concursante de TV) para niños