Food & Beverage

Yes, Virginia, there is karma: Momofuku's David Chang wins 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'

Momofuku founder and celebrity restaurateur, David Chang, became the first celebrity to win "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." The winnings will help restaurant workers in need.

November 30, 2020

Call it good karma or universal alignment or whatever you want, but Momofuku founder David Chang's historic win this weekend on the celebrity version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" certainly seemed fitting, given the fact that the celebrity restaurateur was playing for the frontline restaurant worker aid organization, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

The move is historic, because the show said Chang was the first celebrity to pass the show's multiple tests allowing him to land the $1 million dollar prize for the non-profit organization.

Granted, Momofuku has had its own tests over the last pandemic-poisoned restaurant year, after Chang announced in May that the company was shuttering some properties and combining others to keep the overall company strong, despite the year's economic pressures. For instance, his East Village-stationed Ssam Bar will move into Manhattan's Bar Wayo in January, while the restaurants, Nishi and CCDC, were both closed, according to the company's website. On the company's podcast, Chang explained the move was made to concentrate on the fast casual brand.

But the quiz-show win is all for the benefit of those who Southern Smoke helps: restaurant workers who are facing financial and other difficulties during the pandemic

In an interview about the win with USA Today, Chang discussed how nerve-racking the whole show experience was, explaining the vast difference between watching it and being a contestant.

"When you're watching it, you're like, 'Of course, that's the answer,' but when you're in that chair ... all coolness and rational thought go out the window," Chang told USA Today.

"Then I thought, this is for Southern Smoke, Southern Smoke is for the hospitality industry and we are going through some horrible times," he told USA Today. "We are in such a bad shape that half a million dollars isn't enough – and neither is a million dollars – but I wanted to put emphasis on it and raise awareness of the problem, so it was worth the chance. …

"The real issue isn't about me or restaurants but the people who work the restaurants and the fact that they don't have a safety net. Unfortunately, a lot of the assistance is being bogged down by politics. We need to be helping the people in need."

Video and feature image: ABC via YouTube