CNBC Million Dollar Challenge

Mr. Burke emerged as the winner among 254,000 contestants who participated in the 10-week contest to see who could compile the largest portfolio as a sum of equities, currencies and cash.

Mr. Burke received a $500,000 annuity in 2008 presented by CNBC anchor Brian Shactman. Mr. Burke said some of the winning will go to paying down his son's college debt, as well as to make several charitable donations. He also said he's "considering" real estate investments.

When it announced on "Power Lunch" that he won the grand prize, among the people Mr. Burke thanked was his brother Paul, who donated stem cells in the late 1990s after Edward Burke was diagnosed with cancer. He is a cancer survivor. Source ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS.

Stephen Weber used currency fluctuations and earnings plays to become the winner of CNBC's latest Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge. Weber, who was also the week nine winner, got to the finals on his currency-trading prowess. At the end of regular play, his currency portfolio value was $963,481.77, which was roughly half of his total portfolio value of $1,916,676.14.

What Hot Stocks Did Stephen Pick To Win $500,000?

1. Energy Conversion [ENER 10.12 -0.44 (-4.17%)
2. Barclays [BCS 17.10 -1.12 (-6.15%)
3. Akamai [AKAM 25.82 -0.90 (-3.37%)
4. Alpha Natural Resources [ANR 44.14 -0.97 (-2.15%)
5. Omniture [OMTR 21.5 0.02 (+1678207%)

Weber, a systems analyst from Lakewood, Ohio, walked away with a prize of $500,000. The two runners-up Bette Lockhart, a consultant from Tucson, Ariz., and Debra Lewis, the owner of an auto repair shop in Effingham, won $200,000 and $100,000, respectively. The three finalists beat 175,000 other contestants by trading $1 million virtual dollars in equities and currencies (fx trading). Source CNBC.com.