CNBC'S "MILLION DOLLAR PORTFOLIO CHALLENGE"

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- What would you do if you had a million dollars? Would you buy something? Invest it? Give it away? Starting today, all aspiring millionaires can register to try their hand at managing a $1 million "CNBC Bucks" stock & currency portfolio for the chance to win the grand prize of $1 million in CNBC's fourth annual "Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" (http://milliondollar.cnbc.com).

"CNBC's 'Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge' uniquely offers investors of all experience levels - serious, casual and even non-traders - the opportunity to try their hand at trading stocks and currencies," said Tom Clendenin, Vice President, Marketing, CNBC. "Participants gain valuable experience about the equity and currency markets while also having the chance to win incredible prizes. Who wouldn't love to be a millionaire?"

Trading officially starts on Monday, September 19 at 9:30 a.m. ET and, for the first time, the contest has gone international and is open to permanent residents of the U.S., UK and Australia. Registered "Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" contestants all receive a virtual million U.S. dollars to fictionally trade stocks and exchange traded funds on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Marketplace, American Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and Australia Securities Exchange as well as currencies in real-time, in up to five separate portfolios. Complete rules can be found at http://milliondollar.cnbc.com.

Each week during the "Challenge," the participant with the highest weekly percentage gain on Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET will win a three-night trip to one of Kerzern International's luxurious One&Only (www.oneandonlyresorts.com) or Atlantis (www.atlantis.com) resorts around the world.

Trading officially ends on Friday, November 25 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The participant who has the portfolio with the highest aggregate value at the end of the "Challenge" will be awarded the Grand Prize. The second place winner will drive away with a 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport.

Past "Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" winners include: Mary Sue Williams of St. Clairsville, Ohio, a waitress at an Italian restaurant; Edward Burke, a jazz musician from Shippensburg, PA; and Stephen Weber, of Lakewood, Ohio, a systems analyst.

Follow the "Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" on both Twitter at @cnbcMDPC (hashtags: #Ifihadamilliondollars ; #portfoliochallenge) and Facebook at http://facebook.com/cnbcmilliondollarportfoliochallenge.

About CNBC:

With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, CNBC World and CNBC HD+, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news providing real-time data, analysis and information to more than 390 million homes worldwide. The network's 16 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC.com and CNBC Mobile Web (mobile.cnbc.com) offer real-time stock quotes, charts, analysis and both on-demand and live streaming video. Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBC Universal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/networks/cnbc.

CONTACT: Amy Zelvin, +1-201-735-4740

SOURCE CNBC