THE $313,000 QUESTION, CHALLENGE, OPPORTUNITY, AND STRATEGY
- Juan Carlos Erdozain Rivera, MBA
- Aug 15
- 7 min read
"The night of May 18,1979 was the date of the grand premiere of the game show "Las 13 Preguntas del 13," and I had the honor of being the first contestant and the first to win.
What I'm going to tell you here are not just anecdotes, they are testimonies of how a passion for knowledge, the audacity to choose unusual topics, and the ability to understand the essence of innovation can literally change the course of a life.
THE 13 QUESTIONS OF 13
"Las Trece Preguntas del Trece" ("The $313,000 Question) was conceived as a "new broadcast" that capitalized on the successful format of its predecessor, "El Gran Premio de los 64,000 pesos." ("The $64,000 Question)
A distinctive feature of the program was the formulation of "increasingly difficult" questions by Pedro Ferriz Santa Cruz, who served as Master of Ceremonies.
This progression in the difficulty of the questions generated palpable tension and maintained the audience's interest, which eagerly followed the participants' performances. The complexity of the questions was such that Ferriz himself felt the need to research them extensively to rise to the intellectual challenge he posed.
The program was broadcast live and was known for the remarkable drama generated among the contestants, who faced significant intellectual challenges. This drama, combined with the desire to win and the possibility of winning a monumental prize, contributed to the program's arousing great interest in the country, consolidating its position as one of the first high-rating programs on Mexican television. The contestants were "men and women experts on different topics," which guaranteed the depth of the responses and the quality of the cultural content offered.
MY STORY IS AS FOLLOWS
In 1973 I participated and won the "$64,000 Grand Prix" , which is equivalent to $1,500,000 pesos in July 2025.
Six years later, in 1979 I participated in the premiere of "Las 13 Preguntas del 13" , a cultural contest that paralyzed Mexico, where the prize was $313,000 pesos, which as of July 2025 is equivalent to $1,800,000.
Both prizes were very attractive, but the real challenge was intangible: testing oneself both intellectually and emotionally.
There were no support screens, no "checking in with a friend" on WhatsApp. It was just you, the legendary Pedro Ferriz Santa Cruz, and your biological hard drive firing on all cylinders in front of millions of people.
My topic was "Life and work of Pieter Brueghel the Elder."
Back then, it was my ticket to glory or failure on a stunning stage before television cameras broadcasting live nationwide.
CULTURE AND SUSPENSE IN THE PROGRAM "THE 13 QUESTIONS OF 13"
In 1973 at the age of 16, I won "The Grand Prize of $64,000 pesos, the years passed and in 1979 at the age of 22, I had my first work experience in an important pharmaceutical company, Cyanamid , which did not pay badly, but was not enough to cover my expenses to complete my studies in Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Iberoamericana .
Here comes the part that still amazes me today: if I had wanted to earn $313,000 pesos at Cyanamid, I would have had to work two years. In "The $313,000 Grand Prix," I earned it in less than two months. "Culture produce profits."
And so the call for entries came out again. This time, as I mentioned, my subject was Peter Brueghel "the Elder," the 16th-century Flemish painter. I chose him because, in my opinion, he was a visionary who anticipated surrealism by centuries . The reason for my choice, as with Haydn (when I entered ate the $64,000 competition), lay in his innovative nature. Brueghel, a true disruptor, did not follow the mannerist trends of his time, but rather created a completely new style that was ahead of its time.
👀 TO WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP OF THE $64,000 PESOS CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW
What I'm going to tell you here are not just anecdotes, they are testimonies of how the passion for knowledge, the audacity to choose uncommon topics and the ability to understand the essence of innovation can literally change the course of a life. It's as if in 1979 I had been an "Edutuber" or Content Creator but without the Internet, Google , Artificial Intelligence or YouTube .
OPENING NIGHT: CULTURE AND SUSPENSE
"The 13 Questions of the 13" debuts to a packed house, based on a chronicle by José Luis Jiménez, published on May 20, 1979
The night of May 18, 1979, was the date of the grand premiere of the game show "Las 13 Preguntas del 13," and I had the honor and the nerves of being the first contestant and the first to win $313,000 pesos.
The program's broadcasts were notable for their wide variety of topics, creating an atmosphere of suspense that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The tension, however, was masterfully relieved by Pedro Ferriz, who, with his wisdom and extraordinary sense of humor, connected with the audience before handing the stage over to the emotions of the next contestant.
Along with me, other brave contestants shared the experience, such as Víctor Ontañón Moreno, who participated with the theme of Madame Curie, Ulises Cassab Rueda with the theme "Cadmus, Diffuser of the Alphabet" and Emilio Aguilera, with his challenging theme about Mexican cinema.
It was a memorable evening that epitomized a television program committed to knowledge and quality entertainment. "Las 13 Preguntas del 13" wasn't just a game show for a prize of 313,000 pesos, but a celebration of culture.
The program consisted of seven weeks, where the amount won increased from $6,313, to $13,313, $23,313, $43,313, $83,313, $113,313 and finally $313,000.
THE GRAND PRIZE OF $313,000 PESOS
Finally, the climactic moment arrived. After an intense day of questions and a palpable tension in the studio, Pedro Ferriz's voice presented me with the final dilemma with overwhelming clarity.
There were two paths on the table: the first was prudence, to retire with $113,313 pesos , an already considerable sum that represented the tangible and certain reward for the effort made.
The second was audacity: risking everything to go ahead in pursuit of the grand prize of $313,000 pesos , the figure everyone dreamed of and which meant making history on the show.
But before making our decision, we took the time to admire several reproductions of Peter Brueghel's paintings, which the Belgian Embassy brought that evening to the Teatro Independencia.
We finished appreciating Brueghel's paintings, and for a moment , silence took over the Independencia Theater, from where my last participation was broadcast. The Moment of Truth had arrived . It wasn't just a decision about money, but about risk, confidence, and the satisfaction of achieving something important. It was the moment of truth, where logic and instinct fought a decisive battle in my mind, under the watchful eyes of millions of television viewers.
So, after 12 previous questions in this last program, came the final question : According to Brueghel's biographer, Karel van Mander, what is the lost masterpiece of Peter Brueghel "The Elder"? And the answer is The Triumph of Truth .
THE GRAND PRIX AND THE RACE OF LIFE: BEYOND THE LIGHTS OF A TELEVISION STUDIO
We've walked a path together through the memories of two extraordinary experiences, two "Grand Prix" that shaped my youth and my understanding of the value of knowledge and unconditional support. But there's a final twist to this story, a perspective that, over time, has given everything I've experienced an even more epic meaning.
The truth is, while competing in "The $64,000 Grand Prix" and then in "The $313,000 Grand Prix," I couldn't help but feel like a Formula 1 driver , a racer in his own Grand Prix . Every question was a tight corner, every decision a critical maneuver on a track where the goal was knowledge. And like every great driver, I had my own "squad," a team of sponsors who made that race possible.
In the $64,000 pesos, my "team" was made up of some big names: Banamex , Uniroyal Tires (which even honored me with the title of Honorary Executive), and Zenith , the pioneer in remote-controlled televisions. They were giants in their field, and the support I felt from them was a confidence boost for each stage of the competition.
Years later, in the $313,000 peso challenge, my team was renewed with the strength of IMEVISIÓN (the Mexican Television Institute), Banca Serfín (now Santander), and the iconic Aeroméxico, with its unforgettable slogan: "Trust is Aeroméxico." Each of them represented support, a validation that transcended the economic. It was a recognition of effort, dedication, and, why not, the audacity to delve into such specific and profound topics.
These experiences, beyond money or recognition, taught me that life, like a high-speed race, requires not only individual talent, but also a support network, that "team" that believes in you. They showed me that knowledge is a powerful tool, yes, but its true value is magnified when it is shared, when it is pursued with passion, and when it is celebrated in the company of those who inspire you.
Today, I look back and see that those Grands Prix weren't just quiz shows. They were life lessons that shaped me, teaching me the power of preparation, resilience in the face of obstacles, and the immense joy of shared victory. And you, what has been your personal Grand Prix? Who has been part of your team at key moments in your life?
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