For $20, name a local TikTok trivia game show that offers 5C students the opportunity to win some extra cash. If you answered KnowledgedOfficial, you’d be correct.
KnowledgedOfficial, co-founded by Daniel Hernandez and Michelle Beltran, has recently gained widespread attention on TikTok and Instagram for their short-form trivia content. Their videos feature participants answering questions in edited clips categorized by topic. As of October 2024, their TikTok has amassed over 370,000 followers and over 40 million likes.
Hernandez, who hosts the show on camera, and Beltran, who runs things behind the scenes, founded the game show when they were both students at California State University at San Bernardino. The channel offers college students in Southern California the opportunity to win a little bit of cash by answering trivia questions based on their knowledge of their favorite movies, TV shows, musicians and other pop culture facts. Common topics include Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls, Taylor Swift and Harry Potter.
KnowledgedOfficial launched their show near Pomona College’s Smith Campus Center (SCC) in 2022 and have since hosted it at the same location every Friday, attracting crowds of students who wanted to try their hand at the game. The large tripod and camera sparked passerbys’ attention and the questions kept students lingering.
Hernandez and Beltran gave the contestants the option to choose both the category and difficulty levels, with prizes corresponding to $5, $10 and $20 depending on difficulty. Observers and friends crowded around as the contestant anxiously awaited the question.
If the contestant answered correctly, they could walk away with their prize and can play again the following week. Even if they weren’t as lucky, they could keep playing until they win. No matter the outcome of the game, students cheered and congratulated their peers for their efforts.
KnowledgedOfficial is a source of entertainment for participants and viewers alike. However, Hernandez noted that their primary intention for creating KnowledgedOfficial was to create an activity that was unusual for college campuses.
“[One day] we had 10 extra bucks and two hours, and we were like, ‘What if we do something on the side? Maybe people will enjoy it, and maybe it’ll turn into something,’” Hernandez said.
Though it took a few years for their game to gain traction, KnowledgedOfficial now often sees lines of students waiting for their chance to play.
Hernandez said when he and Beltran first started KnowledgedOfficial, the game used to be much more difficult to win. Contestants needed to answer three questions correctly about a subject in order to cash out. In the early days, all of the prize money came out of their own pockets, and given the time spent formulating and crafting the questions and equipment costs, they had to ensure the winnings were justified.
However, thanks to their growing fanbase, KnowledgedOfficial funds their channel through brand deals and the TikTok Creator Fund, and they have since changed the rules to boost participants’ success rates.
“Pretty much all of the money that we’ve made has gone right back into [the game],” Hernandez said. “We’re just trying to put everything we have into it and see if it can turn into something sustainable.”
One student who has become a regular participant is Lexi Pelzer PO ’27. Pelzer recalled walking through Pomona’s campus last spring and seeing students excitedly gathered around a camera. She decided to check it out and ended up winning $20 her first time for her Harry Potter knowledge.
Since then, Pelzer has made an effort to return to KnowledgedOfficial each week. She estimates she has played 10-15 times and won over $140.
Hernandez emphasized his gratitude towards his regulars and attempts to remember their names and favorite categories. He explained that the game is meant to bring joy and fun to the hecticness of college life, so he structures it with the participants’ best interest in mind.
“We like to think that this is a channel by the people and for the people,” Hernandez said.
Some students have complained that the $5 questions are too hard, while others feel the $20 ones are too easy. Hernandez expressed a desire to gather feedback more systematically, envisioning a process similar to Family Feud.
“It would be great to ask a group of people, ‘How difficult do you think this question is?’ and then, based on the responses, assign a difficulty level,” Hernandez said. “For example, if 80% say it’s worth $20, then it becomes a $20 question.”
Christina Pedersen SC ’28 saw Hernandez in his usual spot near the SCC while walking back from the Village during her first week on campus. Like Pelzer, she was intrigued by the crowds of students collectively cheering around a camera. She approached the crowd and was taken in by the fun, excited energy of the students. Their hands shot up in the air each time a round ended, asking for their turn to play. Pedersen decided she wanted to give it a try.
“It was such a fun environment to be in,” Pedersen said.
Though she failed in her first attempt, she said she plans to try again another time and study some pop culture in the meantime.
Hernandez and Beltran receive requests from students around the world asking KnowledgedOfficial to visit their colleges. Hernandez hopes to be able to expand the channel to be able to meet some of these requests.
Their goal for now, however, has been to offer a wider range of challenges with bigger cash prizes. Hernandez shared that they have slowly begun implementing these games into their channel and they may bring these new challenges to the Claremont Colleges as well.
For Claremont students, professors, faculty and residents alike, KnowledgedOfficial offers entertainment and fun for the community, along with a generous compensation for your knowledge. Stop by the SCC to join other enthusiastic participants and test your knowledge for some cash.
Hernandez appreciated the contestants who took time out of their day to participate.
“Even if you felt like you just spent two minutes, it means a lot,” Hernandez said. “So I remember you. Odds are, I remember your name, and that’s what I enjoy most.”
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