The first millionaire winner of Wheel of Fortune says it isn’t all that it’s made out to be.
In October 2008, Michelle Moore (previously Michelle Loewenstein) became the show’s first millionaire winner, taking home $1,026,800 when she was a contestant. She won big just days after her honeymoon.
Moore has now revealed to Fox News that the money she acquired from the show didn’t “really go that far.”
“Honestly, because I mean, let’s be honest, you don’t get the full amount of money. So, a million dollars, it doesn’t really go that far,” she admitted. Moore explained that the money she won went toward practical expenses, rather than luxurious or exciting ones.
“I think I paid off some student loans and bills, and bought a car,” Moore said. “We put some of that money toward a new home as well. But it’s not as much as you would think.”
“People do think that it will change your entire life, you’re going to start, like, dripping in gold and, you know, you’re going to drive the fanciest of cars,” she explained. “But I guess it really depends on what your passions and your values are. I did not feel like I needed to do all of that.”
Moore said she applied repeatedly to be on Wheel of Fortune. She was accepted into the beloved game show in 2008 and became the historic winner. She told Fox that winning was, ironically, a humbling experience.
“I guess it really kind of keeps you humble and makes you really value everything that you want to make purchases for,” she said. Moore, now a mother of three, said she and her family have maintained a “very mellow life.”
Despite the confession, Moore described her time on the show as “wonderful” and “a really incredible experience.”
Moore’s win was followed by three other civilian contestants taking home the grand $1 million prize: Autumn Erhard in 2013, Sarah Manchester in 2014, and, most recently, Christina Derevjanik in September 2025. Derevjanik’s win came after a significant gap, and she took home the biggest prize in the show’s history, a whopping $1,035,155.
