“IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF TEACHING THE CLASS, HE HAS NEVER TAKEN A RISK—UNTIL THIS MOMENT!” The college professor stunned the Wheel of Fortune studio when he decided to abandon the safe answer and make the boldest bet of his life. In just a few breathless seconds, that reckless choice suddenly exploded into a huge win: he took home a car worth tens of thousands of dollars, making Ryan Seacrest jump out of his seat and the audience scream in disbelief!

A college professor won a car on Wheel of Fortune after taking a big risk in the Bonus Round. He had his letters pre-picked, and it paid off.

Matt Lee, from Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, played against Angie Schwindt, from Wilmington, North Carolina, and Orlando Jones, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on Tuesday, November 19. Lee is a professor of cross-cultural psychology who once got attacked by a gorilla in Rwanda. The animal ran away and then came back and kicked Lee. The travel guide told him that he was “just playing.”

Schwindt, a woman who collects shark teeth on the beach, solved the first toss-up. Jones, an active-duty Air Force veteran turned singer, solved the second one.

Lee solved “Rebooting My Laptop” for $10,138 after he landed on a River Cruise along the Seine, giving him the lead. Schwindt solved the Mystery Round puzzle in “Before & After” — “Paper Airplane Pilot” — for $5,050.

Jones solved the prize puzzle — “Visit The Culinary District” — and won a trip to Nova Scotia. This gave him $11,958 and the lead. He also gained the One Million Dollar wedge that round.

The triple toss-up round was a fight for first place. Lee solved two of the three triple toss-ups. Jones solved one. Lee jumped into first place.

Lee also solved the final puzzle — “Who’s Winning?” — to guarantee his spot in the Bonus Round. He had $20,938. Schwindt went home with $5,050. Jones had $13,958.

Lee chose “Food & Drink” for his Bonus Round category. After Wheel of Fortune gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” the game show contestant picked “M,K,Q, and A.”

“You knew where you were going, huh?” host Ryan Seacrest said.

Lee’s puzzle then looked like “Q_ART  _ _  _AT M_LK.” He chuckled before the clock counted down.

When it began, he solved “Quart of Oat Milk” quickly.

“You had those letters picked out beforehand. You called the right ones,” Seacrest said. He then opened the envelope to reveal the Toyota inside.

This gave him a grand total of $55,668. He then got in the car and waved to the camera.