The Secret Millionaire

The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousand of pounds (or hundreds of thousands of dollars in the U.S. version). Members of the community are told the cameras are present due to a documentary filming. The UK version is produced by the independent production company RDF Media and was created by Stephen Lambert. It first aired in 2006 on the UK's Channel 4, with a second season playing in 2007.



UK version
The first millionaire to appear in the series was 26 year-old Ben Way. A third series of the show began on Channel 4 on 5 August 2008. The first episode of Series 3 featured businessman James Benamor, who has been criticised in the media[citation needed] by investing in the sub-prime market and sharp practice in his company the Richmond Group. A 10-part fourth series is expected to air in Spring 2009.[citation needed]



U.S. version
An American version of the show premiered December 3, 2008, on Fox.

Like the British version, the Fox show features wealthy benefactors each week that go undercover in the most deprived neighborhoods of the United States. For one week, the millionaires mingle within the community and live on a very low-cost budget; this the very first time doing so for many of them. At the end of the show, the millionaires reveal their identities and proceed to donate a minimum of $100,000 (which they sometimes divide among the recipients).

Fox has aired six episodes of the hour-long series, including a two-hour premier. The millionaires have included Internet Advertising tycoon Gurbaksh Chahal; Todd and Gwen Graves, of the restaurant chain Raising Cane's; Century Software founder Gregory Haerr; DUB Magazine founders Myles and Cynthia Kovacs; attorney, broker and sportswear entrepreneur Gregory Ruzicka, and his son Cole; and Baltimore, Maryland civic leader and Baltimore Ravens NFL cheerleader Molly Shattuck.


Format
Each week a millionaire leaves their luxury life behind, takes on a secret identity and lives undercover in a deprived area of the UK or U.S. for a week to ten days. Living on a limited budget with no modern conveniences they must forge their own way in the community – working and volunteering alongside the locals and finding individuals and projects who they think deserve a cut of their fortune. On their final day, the millionaires come clean and reveal their true identity to the people they have chosen, surprising them with overwhelming gifts of thousands of pounds or dollars to improve their lives.

Through this unique experience, extraordinary people and heart-wrenching situations inside deprived communities are revealed. As well as highlighting the positive financial and emotional impact of modern day philanthropy, the program also draws attention to some of Britain's and America's social problems in a touching and personal way. The series has also tackled gritty issues such as gang culture, gun crime, disability, and homelessness in some of the toughest areas.





Episode 6 (Season 1, Episode 9)

Salt Lake City, UT, businessman/entrepreneur Greg Haerr goes undercover in Las Vegas to honor heroes with the gift of a lifetime. 42:46 minutes