Ken Basin Loses $475,000 Gamble

The first contestant on the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to answer the $1 million question incorrectly was Los Angeles entertainment lawyer Ken Basin on August 23, 2009. With $500,000 at stake, he was asked which drink President Lyndon B. Johnson could summon with an Oval Office button alongside coffee, tea, and Coke. Basin wondered whether he would regret walking away and learning he was right more than risking his winnings and being wrong, then followed his audience lifeline and chose Yoo-hoo instead of the correct answer, Fresca. The mistake cost him $475,000 and left him with $25,000.

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