Kevin Olmstead

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Dr. Kevin Olmstead (born March 20, 1959) is an environmental engineer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He won $2.18 million on the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on April 10, 2001, at the time a record for highest total winnings on a game show. Millionaire at this time had an increasing bonus on top of the $1 million top prize, as there had been a drought of top-prize winners for five months. Olmstead's final question was: "Who is credited with inventing the first mass-produced helicopter?", and he responded with the correct answer of Igor Sikorsky.^[1] His record lasted about three and a half years until it was broken in November 2004 by Ken Jennings on Jeopardy!. Olmstead still holds the record for the highest game show earnings on a U.S. network, since Jennings (and Brad Rutter, the current record-holder as of today) won on a syndicated game show.^[2]

Olmstead is an advisor for the University of Michigan's quiz bowl team and a founding member of National Academic Quiz Tournaments, a company that runs quiz bowl national championship tournaments at the high school and college levels.^[3] He is also a member of Toastmasters International, having obtained the Distinguished Toastmaster award, and is a past Division Governor, the 2006-2007 Public Relations Officer of District 28 Toastmasters, and the 2007-2008 Lieutenant Governor Education for District 28.

One member of a quiz bowl team Olmstead advised was David Goodman, another top prize winner of Millionaire.^[1]

On an episode of NBC's game show 1 vs. 100 which aired on October 27, 2006, Olmstead appeared in the mob of 100 along with John Carpenter and Nancy Christy as three millionaires from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? opposing the singular contestant. All three were eliminated without winning any money.

Olmstead was a contestant on the Grand Slam game show tournament, but was defeated in the opening round.