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Mensch Louis C.K. Donates $280K From Comedy Special To Charity
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 22, 2011
Modified Dec 22, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 22, 2011
Modified Dec 22, 2011
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Louis C.K.'s Beacon Theater comedy special/internet experiment turned out better than anyone could have expected: in the 12 days since the special was put online for $5, Louis has made more than a million dollars! And he announced on his website that he is donating $280,000 to five different charities: "The thing is still on sale. I hope folks keep buying it. If I make another million, I'll give more of it away. I'll let you know when that happens because I like you getting to know what happened to your 5 dollars and bringing awareness to the bla bla bla." Aww: come for the bag of dicks, stay for the benevolence.
Louis C. K. explained that he would use $250,000 to pay for the special, spend another $250,000 in bonuses to people who work for him, and keep $220,000 for himself: "Some of that will pay my rent and will care for my childen [sic]. The rest I will do terrible, horrible things with and none of that is any of your business. In any case, to me, 220k is enough out of a million." He further expanded on all this in an interview with Jimmy Fallon last night:
Our favorite part is when he describes the charities he is giving money in typical Louis C.K. form, including The Fistula Foundation ("It's a place for these women who get raped, and then I give them money"), Green Chimneys ("Where kids that nobody likes, they go to this place") and Charity Water ("They build water things when people are thirsty"). And he gives a substantial hint at a major overhaul toward which the rest of his money will be going.
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beacon theater
charity
comedy
louis c.k.
mensch
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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