Alex Ortiz, a veterinarian from Stamford, Connecticut, was a contestant on the syndicated U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on September 25, 2009. She walked away with $50,000.
Alex would return to participate in the Million Dollar Tournament of Ten, seeded 10th.
WWTBAM Run[]
Alex' Run To The Million[]
| $500 (1 of 15) - 0:15 Time Limit Category: Weather | |
| An electrical storm is a natural event that commonly showcases an eye-popping display of what? | |
| ⬥ A: Volcanic lava | ⬥ B: Lightning bolts |
| ⬥ C: Morning dew | ⬥ D: Brad Pitt’s pecs |
| $1,000 (2 of 15) - 0:15 Time Limit Category: Words & Phrases | |
| In a popular phrase, a plan that makes useless changes is said to be like “rearranging the deckchairs on the” what? | |
| ⬥ A: Goodyear Blimp | ⬥ B: Concorde |
| ⬥ C: Titanic | ⬥ D: Orient Express |
| $2,000 (3 of 15) - 0:15 Time Limit Category: In The News | |
| Fish and chips were on the menu for the Obama girls during a surprise visit to what European city? | |
| ⬥ A: Madrid | ⬥ B: London |
| ⬥ C: Rome | ⬥ D: Berlin |
| $3,000 (4 of 15) - 0:15 Time Limit Category: Word Origins | |
| The word “alligator” is derived from the Spanish term “el lagarto”, meaning what? | |
| ⬥ A: The lizard | ⬥ B: The fish |
| ⬥ C: The frog | ⬥ D: The crab |
| $5,000 (5 of 15) - 0:15 Time Limit Category: Advertising Icons | |
| In the 1980s, what food franchise ran a series of ads starring a red-suited Claymation villain known as “the Noid”? | |
| ⬥ A: Red Lobster | ⬥ B: Dairy Queen |
| ⬥ C: Wendy's | ⬥ D: Domino's Pizza |
| $7,500 (6 of 15) - 0:30 Time Limit Category: Headlines | |
| On July 1, 2009, the Duluth News tribune ran what two-word headline about Minnesota’s new U.S. Senator? 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Sorry: Sanford | ⬥ B: Finally: Franken |
| ⬥ C: Uh-oh: Udall | ⬥ D: Sneaky; Specter |
| Ask the Audience Results: A: 7% ⬥ B: 82% ⬥ C: 6% ⬥ D: 5% | |
| $10,000 (7 of 15) - 0:30 Time Limit Category: Same Name | |
| Which of these cities in Michigan shares its name with a cryptocrystalline variety of the mineral quartz? | |
| ⬥ A: Flint | ⬥ B: Saginaw |
| ⬥ C: Lansing | ⬥ D: Kalamazoo |
| $12,500 (8 of 15) - 0:30 Time Limit Category: Technology Terms | |
| In the wireless phone abbreviation “3G”, the “G” stands for what? 'Ask the Expert' lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Global | ⬥ B: Generation |
| ⬥ C: Gateway | ⬥ D: Guidance |
| With 24 seconds remaining, Alex ask the expert Ashleigh Banfield. Ashleigh was somewhat confident it was “Generation”, saying her husband explained this to her, but it “went in one ear and out the other”. |
| $15,000 (9 of 15) - 0:30 Time Limit Category: Sports | |
| Because traditional matches can take as long as five days, what sport also has a sped-up version called “Twenty20”? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Polo | ⬥ B: Rugby |
| ⬥ C: Squash | ⬥ D: Cricket |
| With 25 seconds, remaining Alex decides to use her Phone-a-Friend lifeline. From her PAF team of Jeff (Stamford, CT), Tricia (Scarsdale, NY) and Jeff F. (Stamford, CT), Alex chooses Jeff F, who says he was 90% sure it was cricket as time expires. |
| $25,000 (10 of 15)- 0:30 Time Limit Category: British Monarchs | |
| In the name of Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Aragon refers to a region in what country? 'Double Dip' lifeline used | |
| ⬥ A: Spain | ⬥ B: Belgium |
| ⬥ C: Netherlands | ⬥ D: Denmark |
| Alex “doesn’t know why she knows this”, but to be safe, calls for her Double Dip lifeline at 18 seconds. |
| $50,000 (11 of 15) - 0:45 Time Limit Category: Birds | |
| Which of these first names is also the name of a type of songbird in the swallow family? | |
| ⬥ A: Rodney | ⬥ B: Martin |
| ⬥ C: Howard | ⬥ D: Dwight |
| $100,000 (12 of 15) - 0:45 Time Limit Category: Mythology | |
| Written by the poet Hesiod, one of the earliest known versions of the Pandora myth features Pandora opening not a box but a what? | |
| ⬥ A: Tomb | ⬥ B: Bag |
| ⬥ C: Book | ⬥ D: Jar |
| Alex thinks it’s tomb, but decides to walk with $50,000. The correct answer was Jar.
Total Winnings: $50,000 |
Tournament Of Ten Question[]
| $1,000,000 (15 of 15) - 2:56 Time Limit | |
| Which First Lady was a ninth-generation descendant of Pocahontas? | |
| ⬥ A: Helen Taft | ⬥ B: Edith Wilson |
| ⬥ C: Bess Truman | ⬥ D: Mamie Eisenhower |
| Alex says she has heard this, but doesn’t recall who. Alex decides not to risk her previous winnings. The correct answer was Edith Wilson.
Total Winnings: $50,000 |
Sources[]
| Million Dollar Tournament of Ten contestants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. Alex Ortiz 9. Tony Westmoreland 8. Sam Murray 7. Robin Schwartz 6. Ralph Cambeis |
5. Tim Janus 4. Matt Schultz 3. Jeff Birt 2. Keilani Goggins 1. Jehan Shamsid-Deen | ||