It’s fair to say that Dwayne Johnson‘s newfound partnership with Oprah Winfrey isn’t proving to be as popular as his double act with Kevin Hart. Following the talk show legend earning backlash for her initial response to the Maui wildfires that have ravaged Lahaina and Kula, The Rock has unfortunately found himself hit with the same treatment now that the pair have announced they’ve come together to launch a fundraiser to help locals affected by the disaster.
Although both Oprah and Johnson are kicking off the donations with their own gift of $10 million, people have pushed back hard against two of the richest individuals in show business asking them to give up their cash rather than invest more of their own, with the duo accused of being another example of “the ultra-rich and famous” failing to read a room. Still, it’s important to remember their hearts are in the right place, although there are some legitimate areas of concern to do with the fundraiser.
Such concerns have been raised by one TikToker who has been a professional fundraiser for the past 25 years. While also having several positive things to say about how Oprah and Johnson have gone about creating their fundraiser, the People’s Fund of Maui, she does have some caveats about the specifics of what they are asking those who wish to benefit from the fund.
As user ashcapps explains, the fund’s website makes clear that only full-time residents of Lahaina and Kula are eligible to receive the promised $1200 compensation (although it is not specified what the duration is for this figure). On the accompanying form, residents are asked to declare if they receive any federal or state benefits. This is a real sticking point for the TikToker as she stresses that they are not allowed to ask for this kind of information. “If you say you’re going to help everybody, just help everybody and be done with it,” ashcapps says, “[Whether you get benefits] is nobody else’s business.”
In addition to this, she reveals that the People’s Fund of Maui is run by a non-profit organization called the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Using information that must legally be made public, the TikToker crunches the numbers and declares that the company has 13 executives who get paid a total of $3,211,292. 29 further employees also receive over $100,000 in compensation. Ashcapps stresses that everything that’s getting donated will go into the fund, but comments reveal many are dubious that every last cent of the donations will go to those who need it.
Lastly, the TikToker addresses the big question of why Oprah and Johnson are asking everyone else to donate anyway, providing evidence of how illogical this is. “Statistically speaking, 90% of your donations are going to come from 10% of your donors,” she explains. “So I don’t know why the public is being asked, but you know, to each his own.”
No doubt more will be said as Johnson and Oprah’s do-gooding continues to come back to bite them.