# Win Ben Stein's Money

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 1999, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993 "1999-11-29T17:55:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![theuglytruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@theuglytruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theuglytruth)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 1999, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993/1 "1999-11-29T17:55:00Z")

</div>

Does anyone have all the details on how the best game show on TV works?

From what I can gather from the graphic at the end of the show, the producers budget a certain amount of prize money for the show, which would be the $5000 the contestant goes one on one against Ben for at the end + an unspecified amount in the first two rounds.

If that contestant cannot beat Ben one on one, then Ben gets paid 5000 + whatever the extra in the budget is.

Does anyone know what the full amount of the budget Stein can earns if he wins? And doesn’t he really get a salary on top of the earnings?  
How do you get on the show?  
[http://pwbts.com](http://pwbts.com)

* * *

[http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/parliament/1685/](http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/parliament/1685/)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 1999, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993/2 "1999-11-29T19:08:00Z")

</div>

I do know how you get on the show. It’s like any other game show. You go down to the studio, you take a written test, answer some interview questions, and if you pass that, you play a sample game. If you seem to pass muster (basically if you are somewhat intelligent and photogenic), you’re in.

I believe now that the show probably gives out the money just like any other game show. I doubt if Stein gets any bonus unless the show gets good ratings, which apparently it does since Comedy Central has given him a talk show also.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 1999, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993/3 "1999-11-29T20:02:00Z")

</div>

Right on the credits for the show it says that the $5000 comes out of Ben’s salary. As you said, he gets paid X + 5000 per show, minus whatever the contestants win.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@krish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krish)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 1999, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-ben-steins-money/4993/4 "1999-11-29T21:13:00Z")

</div>

I figured the prize budget would just be $5000. Stein wins 5000 - X, X being whatever the contestant playing him in the one on one portion wins. He may get a bonus, but I don’t think that comes directly from the prize budget.