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German ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ Contestant Walks Away With €500,000 After Rare Final Question

A cliffhanger alongside early streaming availability triggered criticism of RTL’s timing.

Overview

  • Tom Wollnik, 28, reached the one‑million‑euro question in the April 13 broadcast, the first time in about two and a half years.
  • He had just locked in €500,000 by picking Walmart as the largest private employer in 2024, risking a fall to €500 if wrong.
  • The linear show cut to credits as host Günther Jauch began the last question, which he called “seelische Grausamkeit,” while the full continuation appeared early on RTL+ and airs on RTL on April 20.
  • The final prompt asked which euro coin had the fewest pieces in circulation per European Central Bank figures, with 50‑cent coins at about 7.5 billion the rarest.
  • Wollnik declined to answer and left with €500,000, leaving Ronald Tenholte’s 2020 jackpot as the show’s most recent million win.