Doug Van Gundy

Who is Doug Van Gundy?

Doug Van Gundy is a poet and musician from Elkins, West Virginia. His first book of poems, A Life Above Water, was published by Red Hen Press in 2007. He also plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo in the old-time string band, Born Old.

In August 1999, Van Gundy was a contestant of ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and became the first contestant to win $250,000 on the show. On the $100 question he used the 'ask the audience' lifeline, but the question was later deemed ambiguous, and his lifeline was returned to him. He would later win $64,000 without using another lifeline. The $125,000 question asked where Oswald was arrested for Kennedy's assassination—answer, a movie theater. He asked the audience and got the correct answer. On the $250,000 question, he was asked where the Iditarod Dogsled race ends. He used the 50/50, and then called his friend Ross, and also got the correct answer, Nome.