Mystery Man Gives away Cash in New York

New York : He will not disclose his name, hides his face, and hands cash to anyone who asks in the center of New York.

The mystery benefactor known as Bailout Bill sat on Wednesday behind a counter in the heart of Times Square giving money to hundreds of people waiting in temperatures well below freezing.

Protected by plainclothes guards, the well-built man wore wraparound black glasses and a woolen hat pulled low over his head. Some people waited for more than five hours to reach a makeshift window marked ‘Bailout Booth’ where they received at least $50, sometimes much more.

Many of those queuing up were victims of the severe US economic downturn. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs in New York alone. Bailout Bill’s idea is partly a publicity stunt for a new website, www.bailoutbooth.com, where you can post videos advertising possessions, services, and personal messages.

But the initiative also stems from the desire to help ordinary people the same way as the US government is trying to bail out banks and other corporations, a spokesman, Drew Tybus said. About $500,000 will be dished out in several US cities, he said. “Rather than getting a TV commercial during the Superbowl, the idea was to give people a chance to make some money. We all know someone who’s been affected.”

 

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