Who Is the Millionaire

Ai là triệu phú (lit. 'Who Is the Millionaire') is a Vietnamese game show based on the original British format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The show was hosted by Lại Văn Sâm from its debut until 2017, Phan Đăng from 2018 to 2020, and Đinh Tiến Dũng from 2021 onward. The main goal of the game is to win the top prize (currently 250,000,000₫ from 2022) by answering 15 multiple-choice questions correctly. There are four lifelines – 50:50, Phone a Friend, Plus One (first appeared in 2020) and Ask Two Experts (can be used after the fifth question, first appeared in 2020). Ai là triệu phú? began broadcasting on January 4, 2005.^[1]

Who Is the Millionaire
Vietnamese	Ai là triệu phú
Created by	Vietnam Television (domestic. 2005–present) Mesa (previously as E-Media) (domestic, 2005 - 2015) Sony Pictures Television (international, 2005–2007 (Celador), 2008–2020 (2waytraffic), 2020–present)
Presented by	Lại Văn Sâm (2005–2017) Phan Đăng (2018–2020) Đinh Tiến Dũng (2021–present)
Country of origin	Vietnam
Original language	Vietnamese
No. of episodes	990
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Original release
Network	VTV3
Release	January 4, 2005 (2005-01-04) – present

Fragment of the show; contestant and money tree (third version)

It is broadcast on VTV3 on every Tuesday at 9:00 PM (UTC+7).^[2]

Ai là triệu phú - Ghế nóng

On 7 September 2010, an alternative version for regular Ai là triệu phú was aired, named Ai là triệu phú - Ghế nóng (lit. 'Who Is the Millionaire - Hot Seat').^[3][4][5] This is a Vietnamese adaptation of the Australian game show Millionaire Hot Seat, with the game's rules being the same as the original Australian version (from 2009 to 2016).^[6][7][8] However, the show returned to its original format on 5 July 2011 after receiving feedback from viewers.^[9][10]

Graphics

At first, Ai là triệu phú had a black interface similar to the most international versions, with a smaller question lozenge. From May 2008, the show switched to the modern blue Rave graphic based on the Australian version. When Ai là triệu phú returned from July 2011, the show used the Norwegian graphic with Arial font.^[11]

From June 2013: The question lozenge was smaller due to VTV3 switching to a widescreen format. Previously, in Hot Seat version, the question lozenge was also smaller, even though VTV3 was still using a standard screen format. At the end of 2014, Ai là triệu phú switched to a new, more beautiful and easier-to-see blue Rave graphic, inspired by the 2010 purple flux graphic in the UK version.

In 2021, the show switched to a brand new graphic,^[12][13] inspired by the design of Olga van den Brandt (Netherlands version) and the 2018 revival of UK version (question lozenge and Phone-a-Friend clock). The question lozenge was expanded to full screen.

Filming locations

For the first episodes, Ai là triệu phú was filmed at the Gia Lam Gymnasium, Hanoi.^[14][15][16] The show then moved to S10 studio in mid-2005,^[17][18] and finally to S16 studio of Vietnam Television.^[19]

Money tree

Original format

Question number	Question value (Yellow zones are the guaranteed levels)[20]
	January 4, 2005 – October 11, 2005	October 18, 2005 – February 13, 2007	February 20, 2007 – August 31, 2010; July 5, 2011 – June 12, 2012	June 19, 2012 – December 28, 2021	January 4, 2022 – present
1	100,000₫	100,000₫	100,000₫	200,000₫	200,000₫
2	200,000₫	200,000₫	200,000₫	400,000₫	400,000₫
3	300,000₫	300,000₫	300,000₫	600,000₫	600,000₫
4	500,000₫	500,000₫	500,000₫	1,000,000₫	1,000,000₫
5	800,000₫	1,000,000₫	1,000,000₫	2,000,000₫	2,000,000₫
6	1,200,000₫	1,800,000₫	2,000,000₫	3,000,000₫	3,000,000₫
7	2,000,000₫	3,200,000₫	3,600,000₫	6,000,000₫	6,000,000₫
8	3,200,000₫	5,000,000₫	6,000,000₫	10,000,000₫	10,000,000₫
9	4,800,000₫	7,000,000₫	9,000,000₫	14,000,000₫	14,000,000₫
10	6,800,000₫	10,000,000₫	15,000,000₫	22,000,000₫	22,000,000₫
11	10,000,000₫	15,000,000₫	25,000,000₫	30,000,000₫	30,000,000₫
12	14,000,000₫	25,000,000₫	35,000,000₫	40,000,000₫	40,000,000₫
13	20,000,000₫	40,000,000₫	50,000,000₫	60,000,000₫	80,000,000₫
14	30,000,000₫	60,000,000₫	80,000,000₫	85,000,000₫	150,000,000₫
15	50,000,000₫	100,000,000₫	120,000,000₫	150,000,000₫	250,000,000₫

Hot Seat format

Question number	Question value
1	1,000,000₫
2	2,000,000₫
3	3,000,000₫
4	4,000,000₫
5	5,000,000₫
6	6,000,000₫
7	8,000,000₫
8	10,000,000₫
9	15,000,000₫
10	20,000,000₫
11	25,000,000₫
12	35,000,000₫
13	50,000,000₫
14	80,000,000₫
15	120,000,000₫

Notable wins

Top prize winners

• No one in the show has become an actual top prize winner yet. In the Hot Seat version of the show, Nguyễn Xuân Điều won the top prize of 120,000,000₫ on May 24, 2011.

14th question correct

• Nguyễn Lê Anh won 80,000,000₫ on September 9, 2008.^[1][21] Set record since 2008.
• Bùi Thị Hà Thanh and Đào Hồng Vũ won 80,000,000₫ on November 18, 2008 (Vietnamese Teachers' Day special)^[1][21]
• Lê Văn Tuân won 80,000,000₫ on April 12, 2011 (Hot Seat version)

Notable losses

Top prize losers

• Trần Đặng Đăng Khoa won 22,000,000₫ on January 5, 2021. He made it to the 15th question but chose the wrong answer.^[22]
• Phạm Cao Long won 80,000,000₫ on November 26, 2024. As he guessed the 14th question correctly, he would have made it to the 15th question had he kept playing. As a result, the producers decided to let him have a mock attempt on the 15th question. Eventually he chose the wrong answer on the mock attempt.^[23]

Basic information

The game was played on VTV's 43rd anniversary special broadcast on September 6, 2013, on VTV1. It was hosted by Đức Khuê. Singer Phương Thanh participated in the game, answered all 15 questions correctly and won the prize of "working as an editor of Ai là triệu phú for one day".^[24]

• The show didn't air on February 8, 2005 due to 2005 Lunar New Year's eve.
• The show didn't air on June 21, 2005 due to 2005 VTV Cup matches.
• The show didn't air on June 13, 2006 due to World Cup Germany matches.^[25]
• The show didn't air on March 20, 2018 due to the funeral of Phan Văn Khải.^[26][27]
• The show didn't air on January 28, 2020 due to the Lunar New Year 2020.
• The show didn't air on January 26, 2021, due to the extended time for the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam's news.

Related versions

Rồng vàng

Before Ai là triệu phú, Ho Chi Minh City Television collaborated with Lasta Multimedia to produce a similar programme called Rồng vàng (lit. 'Golden Dragon'), airing from 25 May 2003 to 10 June 2007, with a top prize of VND 50,000,000.