The show's first big winner — because, yes, you can potentially leave the show with a lesser amount than $1,000,000 and be a big winner — was a pregnant stay-at-home mom from Utah named Jessica Robinson (via People). As she confided, she had a strong feeling a certain case would lead her to victory, with Robinson saying, "All along I knew I wanted to pick briefcase number four because there's soon going to be four people in our family. It just made sense."
She added about her strategy, which included rejecting the Banker's final offer of $561,000, "Honestly, if my case had $200,000 in it I would have regretted it. I talked to my supporters and surprisingly, as I think back, they were crazy for telling me to go forward! But they knew my plan and it was coming true."
Ultimately, as Robinson told People about the impact her win has had on her family's lives, "I'm a stay-at-home mom and I know I contribute to my family, but there are times I feel I don't contribute because I'm not getting a paycheck, and at the end of the day, I'm the spender." The then 27-year-old added, "This will take the burden off [of my husband] being the breadwinner and taking care of us."
