Michael Tom Shutterly, a lawyer, coin collector and Boy Scout leader from Richmond, Virginia, was a contestant who appeared on the U.S. version of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on August 24 and 25, 1999. He walked away with $500,000.
He held the record for the largest single win in United States game show history, until it was broken by John Carpenter who won $1,000,000 almost 3 months later.
Michael would later appear on the Champions Edition on May 24, 2000 and won $1,000 (with half of his money going to charity).
Prior to appearing on Millionaire, Michael was a 4-time champion on Jeopardy! in 1988, winning $49,200 and just missing out on the Tournament of Champions. [1]The person who just beat him out, Ron Trigueiro, also appeared on Millionaire, walking away with $125,000.
Put the following parts of a horse in order, beginning at the front.
⬥ A: Hind Legs
⬥ B: Tail
⬥ C: Muzzle
⬥ D: Withers
From the 9 contestants, 5 got it right, but Michael (with a time of 5.07 seconds) was the fastest to correctly answer C-D-A-B, making it into the Hot Seat.
Michael's First Run to the Million[]
$100 (1 of 15) - Not Timed
What vegetable gives Popeye the Sailor his extra strength?
⬥ A: Spinach
⬥ B: Cabbage
⬥ C: Beets
⬥ D: Celery
$200 (2 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following was not one of Christopher Columbus' ships?
⬥ A: Santa Maria
⬥ B: The Minnow
⬥ C: Nina
⬥ D: Pinta
$300 (3 of 15) - Not Timed
What was the name of the computer in the film '2001: A Space Odyssey'?
⬥ A: Al
⬥ B: Hal
⬥ C: Pal
⬥ D: Sal
$500 (4 of 15) - Not Timed
In which of the following appliances would you find a device called an agitator?
⬥ A: Can Opener
⬥ B: Toaster
⬥ C: Washing Machine
⬥ D: Iron
$1,000 (5 of 15) - Not Timed
What is the name of the Russian space station?
⬥ A: Sputnik
⬥ B: Skylab
⬥ C: Mir
⬥ D: Kremlin
The klaxon called time, and Michael would return on $1,000 with all lifelines still available.
$2,000 (6 of 15) - Not Timed
Who is the current president of the National Rifle Association?
⬥ A: Ralph Reed
⬥ B: Tom Selleck
⬥ C: William Bennett
⬥ D: Charlton Heston
$4,000 (7 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following is not a business-focused publication?
⬥ A: Barron's
⬥ B: Fortune
⬥ C: Esquire
⬥ D: Morningstar
$8,000 (8 of 15) - Not Timed
On the classic 'Andy Griffith Show,' the city of Mayberry is located in what state?
⬥ A: South Carolina
⬥ B: Georgia
⬥ C: North Carolina
⬥ D: West Virginia
$16,000 (9 of 15) - Not Timed
What breed is President Clinton's current dog, Buddy? 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used
Who wrote the best-selling book, 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus'?
⬥ A: John Gray
⬥ B: John Bradshaw
⬥ C: John Grisham
⬥ D: James Redfield
$64,000 (11 of 15) - Not Timed
What is the name of the chartered yacht on which Gary Hart traveled to Bimini with Donna Rice in 1987?
⬥ A: Risky Business
⬥ B: Business As Usual
⬥ C: Monkey Business
⬥ D: Show Business
$125,000 (12 of 15) - Not Timed
In 1912, the Titanic departed from what English port? '50:50' lifeline used
⬥ A: Bristol
⬥ B: Dover
⬥ C: Portsmouth
⬥ D: Southampton
$250,000 (13 of 15) - Not Timed
Traditionally, what form of address is used when writing a letter to a foreign ambassador? 'Phone-a-Friend' lifeline used
⬥ A: His or Her Eminence
⬥ B: His or Her Excellency
⬥ C: The Honorable
⬥ D: Mr. or Madam President
Michael decided to phone his mother Nikki, who did not give an answer within the allocated time. He decided to go with His or Her Excellency, and won $250,000.
$500,000 (14 of 15) - Not Timed
What was the real name of Pope John Paul I, who served as Pope for about a month in 1978?
⬥ A: Albino Luciani
⬥ B: Eugenio Pacelli
⬥ C: Giuseppe Sarto
⬥ D: Giovanni Braschi
Michael knew that Pacelli was Pius XII and Sarto was Pius X. He decided to go with A: Albino Luciani as his final answer. That answer made him the first person in the world to answer the 14th question correctly.
$1,000,000 (15 of 15) - Not Timed
The very first $1,000,000 question in the U.S. and the very first Top Prize Question Worldwide
On February 22, 1989, what group won the first Grammy award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance?
⬥ A: Metallica
⬥ B: AC/DC
⬥ C: Living Colour
⬥ D: Jethro Tull
Michael did not know the answer, so he decided to walk away with $500,000. The correct answer was D: Jethro Tull; prior to walking, Michael said that one difficulty was that he's listened to only one of the groups on the list, and knows for sure it wasn't the one he listened to (without specifying which of the remaining three)
Total Prize Money: $500,000
Champion's Edition Run[]
Fastest Finger Question[]
Fastest Finger Question
Put the following European countries in geographical order, starting with the easternmost and moving west.
⬥ A: Andorra
⬥ B: Portugal
⬥ C: Luxembourg
⬥ D: Austria
From the 10 contestants, 4 got it right but Michael (with a time of 6.19 seconds) was the fastest to correctly answer D-C-A-B, and making it to the hot seat.
Michael's Second Run to the Million[]
$100 (1 of 15) - Not Timed
Someone who is bragging about his accomplishments is said to be "blowing his own" what?
⬥ A: Balloon
⬥ B: Nose
⬥ C: Horn
⬥ D: Gasket
$200 (2 of 15) - Not Timed
A cheap coffee shop is commonly called which of the following?
⬥ A: Grimy knife
⬥ B: Greasy spoon
⬥ C: Dirty fork
⬥ D: Sticky place mat
$300 (3 of 15) - Not Timed
The face of which currently circulating U.S. coin features a president with a beard?
⬥ A: Penny
⬥ B: Nickel
⬥ C: Dime
⬥ D: Quarter
$500 (4 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of the following cities is nicknamed "Beantown"?
⬥ A: Boston
⬥ B: Boise
⬥ C: Baton Rouge
⬥ D: Detroit
$1,000 (5 of 15) - Not Timed
What color are the feathers on a bald eagle's head?
⬥ A: Red
⬥ B: White
⬥ C: Brown
⬥ D: Black
$2,000 (6 of 15) - Not Timed
Which of these pastas is shaped like a bow tie? 'Ask the Audience' lifeline used
Michael Shutterly went on to become a published historian focusing on ancient Rome and the Middle Ages, with a speciality in currency art and history. Authoring 50+ articles on the subject, he's garnered multiple awards for his insightful presentations. Engaged with several numismatic societies, including ANA, ANS, and the Association of Dedicated Byzantine Collectors, he actively participates in various coin clubs.[1][2]
Michael Shutterly's run to the million (Part 1)