Ian Reifowitz

Ian Reifowitz
From	New York City
Appearance	March 30th & April 2, 2000 May 25, 2000
Money won	$250,000

Ian Reifowitz, a college history professor from New York City, was a contestant on the U.S. version of the show on March 30th, and April 2nd, 2000. He walked away with $250,000.

Ian would later return for the final Fastest Finger question in the Champions Edition shows on May 25, 2000, but he didn't make it into the Hot Seat.

WWTBAM Run

Fastest Finger Question

Fastest Finger Question
Put these rock albums in the order they were first released, starting with the earliest.
⬥ A: Born to Run	⬥ B: Synchronicity
⬥ C: The Wall	⬥ D: Abbey Road

Only two out of nine contestants answered D-A-C-B correctly, and Ian's time of in 5.01 seconds, got him into the hot seat.

Ian's Run to the Million

$100 (1 of 15) - Not Timed
What is the name for the after-work time period when bars offer alcoholic drinks at discount prices?
⬥ A: Mad Minute	⬥ B: Happy Hour
⬥ C: Spicy Second	⬥ D: Exuberant Evening

$200 (2 of 15) - Not Timed
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is also known as what?
⬥ A: Golden Rule	⬥ B: Draconian Law
⬥ C: Hippocratic Oath	⬥ D: Apollo Creed

$300 (3 of 15) - Not Timed
According to the popular expression, you have perfect vision if your eyesight is what?
⬥ A: 10/20	⬥ B: 20/20
⬥ C: 20/30	⬥ D: 30/30

$500 (4 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following items is traditionally kept in a quiver?
⬥ A: Flowers	⬥ B: Books
⬥ C: Arrows	⬥ D: Needles

$1,000 (5 of 15) - Not Timed
Which New York City location is the current home of the dance troupe known as the Rockettes?
⬥ A: Radio City Music Hall	⬥ B: Grand Central Station
⬥ C: Madison Square Garden	⬥ D: Carnegie Hall

$2,000 (6 of 15) - Not Timed
In 1989, Gen. Colin Powell became the youngest person to be named chairman of what military group?
⬥ A: CIA	⬥ B: Green Berets
⬥ C: Navy SEALs	⬥ D: Joint Chiefs of Staff

$4,000 (7 of 15) - Not Timed
Who was the original host of the home repair television show series "This Old House"?
⬥ A: Tim Allen	⬥ B: Dean Johnson
⬥ C: Bob Vila	⬥ D: Steve Thomas

$8,000 (8 of 15) - Not Timed
Sales of the record "We Are the World" raised money to benefit which of the following?
⬥ A: American farmers	⬥ B: Bosnian refugees
⬥ C: Ethiopean famine	⬥ D: Asian orphans

$16,000 (9 of 15) - Not Timed
What North American bird has the largest wingspan? 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used
⬥ A: California condor	⬥ B: Peregrine falcon
⬥ C: Bald eagle	⬥ D: Red-tailed hawk
Ask the Audience Results: A: 56% ⬥ B: 9% ⬥ C: 31% ⬥ D: 4%

Ian takes a lot of time on this one because A & C were the ones he had it narrowed down to. Eventually he goes with the audience and wins $16,000.

$32,000 (10 of 15) - Not Timed
Which star of movie and TV westerns owned a major league baseball team?
⬥ A: Tex Ritter	⬥ B: Roy Rogers
⬥ C: Glenn Ford	⬥ D: Gene Autry

$64,000 (11 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of these artists painted the work known as "The Scream"?
⬥ A: Edgar Degas	⬥ B: Edvard Munch
⬥ C: Edouard Manet	⬥ D: Claude Monet

$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not Timed
What world capital was once known as Edo? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used
⬥ A: Kathmandu	⬥ B: Tokyo
⬥ C: Seoul	⬥ D: New Delhi

Ian calls Aviel, his dissertation advisor. Aviel confidently says it's B. He goes with him and wins $125,000, but the klaxon sounds, and he'll have to return with one lifeline left to go for $250,000.

$250,000 (13 of 15) - Not Timed
What rap group did George Lucas successfully sue to prevent a member from using the name Luke Skywalker? '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ A: 2 Live Crew	⬥ B: Public Enemy
⬥ C: Run-D.M.C.	⬥ D: De La Soul

Ian thinks he knows it, but has to use his 50:50. B & D are eliminated, and while he thinks it's 2 Live Crew, he wants to be more certain before guessing. He vaguely recalls that a member of 2 Live Crew had a name that sounded like "Luke" and spends what seems like an eternity agonizing over trying to figure out what his actual name was exactly. After almost ten minutes, he finally figures it out (Luther Campbell), and he pulls the trigger on A, and wins $250,000.

$500,000 (14 of 15) - Not Timed
Where do the events depicted in Paul Bowles' novel "The Sheltering Sky" take place?
⬥ A: Tanzania	⬥ B: Portugal
⬥ C: Greece	⬥ D: Morocco

Ian's never heard of the book (or its movie adaptation), and isn't risking $218,000 on a flat out guess. He walks away with $250,000. The correct answer was D: Morocco. Total Prize Money: $250,000

Sources

• Ian Reifowitz's run to the million (Part 1)
• Ian Reifowitz's run to the million (Part 2)

Preceded by Pierre Audet

U.S. Contestant (Season 1) Ian Reifowitz

Succeeded by Shawna Rosen