Twenty years ago, Oprah Winfrey made television history with one of the largest giveaways ever seen on the small screen. In 2004, the iconic TV talk show host surprised her entire studio audience with brand-new Pontiac G-6 sedans, totaling a whopping $7 million giveaway.
On the season 19 opener of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah gifted 276 lucky audience members with the American-made G-6 sedans. The moment is still talked about two decades later, with Oprah’s enthusiastic declaration of “You get a car!” bringing tears of joy to her audience.
However, what many fans may not know is that Oprah did not foot the bill for the cars. Pontiac had actually donated the vehicles from its advertising budget in hopes of boosting sales for the new G-6 line. While the audience members received the cars as gifts, they were left with a bill totaling $6,000 for federal and state income taxes.
Some recipients reportedly had to take out car loans to cover the unexpected tax bill, and some even traded in their new Pontiacs for cheaper vehicles. In some cases, audience members allegedly owed thousands of dollars to the IRS as a result of the giveaway.
Despite the unexpected financial burden for some audience members, all 276 guests went home with a brand-new G-6 sedan worth approximately $28,000 each. Oprah had instructed her producers to fill the audience with people who truly needed the cars, making the surprise even more meaningful.
The iconic giveaway remains one of the largest in television history, with Oprah’s generosity and the audience’s emotional reaction still etched in the memories of those who witnessed it live.