Final Tally for the iPod Fund

Posted by Andy Baio

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the Star Wars Kid fund! In only seven days, 421 people donated an unbelievable $4,334.44. After Paypal’s transaction fees, that leaves $4,074.80. Here’s a spreadsheet with all the donations that I downloaded from Paypal, in case you’re curious. (At their request, the names of anonymous donors were deleted.)

In the next couple days, we’ll talk to Ghyslain and his parents to determine the best way to spend this money. As soon as we make the purchase, I’ll post the receipts. Hopefully, we can get Ghyslain to send a few pictures of himself with his brand new toys.

We’ll also mail out the non-cash gifts that people donated, including an Industrial Light + Magic t-shirt and a Darth Maul lightsaber replica signed by Ray Park (aka Darth Maul)!

The outpouring of support has been staggering, far beyond what I ever expected. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to raise enough for a 15GB iPod, but here we are. Thanks again to all who donated, and thanks to the Star Wars Kid himself for making all this possible. Geeks like us need to stick together.

Comments

    cojonudo tio!!! q punto… podias repartir el dinero entre todos los ajenos d TID. Guapísimo!!!

    this kid PwNs!!!!! 🙂 if only we could get some more sessions would the world be a better place for the whole of us!! THX A BUNCH STARWARS KID!!!!!!!!!!

    I betcha the kid would rather have cool stuff rather than a scholarship. This should be done to make him happy, not according to what would be politically correct. Even though Star Wars Kid is an ‘accidental celebrity’, I hope he comes away from this knowing that the world is more about Love than not.

    Wow, what an amazing story! I just leaned about the video and this site.

    I think someone commented before, but I was just wondering if there is any chance for him to appear in the next StarWars as a cameo. I really want to see him in action!! (as long as Ghyslain is down for this) I wish producers/casting director at Lucas ltd. would feel the same and can help make his dream come true. It would be really nice if they do…

    if he videotapes himself doing the Star Wars choreography with an iPod in his hand instead of those golf clubs, I will donate an additional $100. Especially that twirly move he does at the end.

    I’m dead serious.

    Very sweet,Very funny vids,but on the other hand also pretty embarassing for the guy,i hope it didnt hurt his feeling to much =/

    But still, you guys are getting him somekind of compensation and its a good thing.(even though,i think he deserve more for being humilated like that on popular/official websites and newspaper)

    Though,i think the articles from the ny time post and wired were very stupid and degraded him with their quote like “over weight geek” or by naming the .gif “dork.gif”.I dont know about the US law,but is this legal to humiliate someone via a popular online newspaper?

    Anyway,good luck to ghys in the future,your the man.

    Don’t buy him an iPod, buy him a DV camera. I think the way-cool Sony DCR-VX2000 would be good for Ghys. He’s obviously interested in it. Shyamalan didn’t do much better with his home video efforts, and went on to write and direct Unbreakable, Sixth Sense, and more.

    This is the best best of the best with the best-flavored juices squirted all over it. Ghyslain: fair play to you, geezer.

    WHAT? ????? YOU ARE STOPPING THE FUND RAISING ?? WHY ? WHY????

    Just as the media started to take interest in this cause, just as people started to take notice and contribute a lot of money to this fund, you’re… STOPPING ??

    Last night here in Quebec, LCN (a tv channel) did a short report on Ghislain, and the bottom line is that even 4000$ is still not a lot of money for all the embarassment he’s been through. I say, let the fundraising go on until at least the end of the week. He deserves it !!

    Come on! It doesn’t cost much to just leave the doors open, so why close them?

    By the way – My opinions is get him the 30 GB ipod and give him the rest so he can dispose of it as he wishes.

    I have not laughed that hard in a while. The Star Wars kid is awesome. Let the fund raising go I say let it go!!!! He should make more video’s and sell them on E-Bay.

    Jampom5604

    It’s a good thing you’re doing for the kid. I mean, he’s brought all of us countless laughs and urges to unrinate in our trousers. For that,he deserves this money, and so much more. Like a replica lightsaber so the kid doesn’t have to use a broom stick, for God’s sakes. I have a special spot in my heart for the boy I’ve because fond of calling “Fat Jedi Kid.” God bless you Fat Jedi Kid, may you continue to make classics such as these.

    I have a great idea let the fund raising go for at least 2 weeks. If he is 15 he could use the money for a car. Then a mural of Darth Maul could be painted on the hood. Rock on Starwars Kid rock on.

    college funds? ipods? with the coverage the video and now the fund raising effort is getting shouldn’t we all just make the kid rich? it would only happen once as all future videos would simply be poor imitations of this rather one of a kind effort and our cynicism would prevent our contributions – reopen the fundraiser and see what the world can do!!! When my grandchildren ask me what good I was back when George Bush was destroying the world I could say that I helped make Ghyslain rich!

    Consider too that the cash raised is in American dollars, but the Star Wars Kid lives in Canada. So the $4000 is really, let’s see… 2, 7, carry the 3, uh… 2.5 million dollars. Quite generous, I think.

    Star Wars kid rules! What a great gift he has given us…I agree with the rest of you, the fund raising should go on so we can return the favor. Thanks Star Wars Kid for bringing some light to world!

    that’s a funny video. i’m not laughing at the kid. i’m just saying that its pretty cool that he would do something like that. sucks that someone would put it online like that. and hey… who’s laughing now. last i checked this kid made $4000 by acting out darth maul in front of a camcorder. good 4 you man!!

    I sincerely hope he does get a cameo in the next Star Wars movie!

    Live the dream, Star Wars Kid!

    I want more, though. I want sequels. I want t-shirts. I want merchandising. This kid, if marketed right, could be bigger than the All your Base thing, Ill Mitch, and l33t speak combined. I want to be this kid’s manager. Seriously though, someone needs to buy a real quality lightsaber. I mean, It’s only fair.

    NO SCHOLARSHIP! BUY HIM TOYS. IF THAT WAS ME, I WOULD WANT TOYS!

    If you don’t buy him toys, I want my money back!

    You ought to get him a digital video recorder to go with the MP3 player. Please.

    I’m with Bbo gueno….I gave the money to the poor guy to help him get something cool out of all this. The other kids will be jealous and will stop laughing at him. I’m sure they all thought his humiliation was funny, but they will change their minds when they see him raking in over $4,000 of cool stuff. Then he becomes the school hero. That’s a lot of money to me, and is unimaginable to a 15 year old kid. $4,000 will buy lots of cool stuff and help ease the pain of the crappy actions of his “friends”. The same $4,000 won’t have a major impact on a scholarship fund.

    I’m also with all the folks who said that the fund should be left open. Leave it open until the whole thing dies down and the donations stop pouring in. I was thinking about waiting until today to make my donation…had I done that, I couldn’t have donated. I wonder how much money he didn’t get because the fund was cut short early.

    That last post was from me. The Preview button seems to throw away the name sometimes. Weird.

    If you are going to look into getting him a iMac or something similar, check out this site: http://www.2khappyware.com/ where they sell Mac machines, but not with the high price.

    Good luck Ghyslain… and remember.. Seperatism is for the Quebecios… Stay Canadian. ;-D

    Salut !!!!

    Grace à toi, tas put enfin mettre le Québec sur la map !

    Tk tÉ po mal comique pis ben vive Trois-Rivières 🙂

    Well, you see, he can parlay his ipod-buying fame into a gig as the new talent for the new ipod commercials (if the apple marketers are smart, I mean I would much rather see Ghyslain in action during those commercials rather than that dopey guy singing “Baby Got Back.”) Then THAT talent fee can pay for University. For now, ipod and more! Good luck to you, Ghyslain!

    Just for your information; we prononce Ghyslain like Geez-slain not Gick-slain…

    At least it’s cool that you put Quebec on top of the net! Way 2 go Ghyslain!

    I wish I had known about the donations earlier so I could have given, but regardless you have a heart of gold for having done this for the kid. He deserves it after such cruelty, and for those of us that were just as geeky way back when…..well, I commiserate!!

    What a fabulous idea. I wish the donations were still open – why stop?

    I say you hook this guy up with an Alienware rig, a copy of the upcoming MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, and a years membership… something tells me he would like that.

    Here here! Andy and Jish, reopen the fundraising, and I’ll donate more money!

    The Star Wars Kid rocks!

    demain dans le journal de montreal il va avoir un article sur lui 😀 (demain le 22 mai)

    I think it’s pretty badass for Ghys, I tink it’s a good trade off, funny yet slightly embarrassing video, for free stuff!!! omgz…THIS KID OWNZ ALL OMGZ… GO GYHS!!

    Get him a 15 inches powerbook and the biggest iPod you can with the spare money.

    I think those of us who do pretend to use light sabers… should videotape ourselves and so that this kid isnt the only one. We are a greater community.

    I’m really glad this is turning out really well for Ghyslain. I am almost frightened for him for his overnight fame in the geek community….

    … I am thinking it won’t be long before the big Comic/Game/Sci-Fi Conventions will be begging his parents to bring him for huge fees to do the Light Saber thing at their Con. Some Guy on the Left is right, “Star Wars Kid” is going to become a huge concern, and I don’t even want to think about when Episode 3 comes out (especially if it stinks). In the Geek community, he is quickly becoming a major icon — this isn’t going to die soon, whether he and his family want it to or not.

    I still assert he’s a sweet sweet boy, and as a Mom, I would be so happy to have my 15-year-old son being silly in front of a video camera (although not have it spread over the internet) over what most 15-year-olds seem to be doing these days. He’s a wonderful kid; I hope he feels the support so many people are giving him.

    We at LiningUp.net would like to invite Ghyslain to join our final 6 week Star Wars Episode 3 line-up at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA in 2005!

    I agree, can we open up the fundraiser again? I just recently discovered the kid but its too late to give anything! Maybe I’ll just mail him some money 😛 I think he deserves more then 4,000 for what he went through.

    Someone needs to contact Apple about this. Let them donate the IPOD. No doubt, they’d love to be involved in such a nice gesture for the infamous Star Wars Kid while gathering some good press along the way. Maybe they’ll even through in an IBook or at least sell you some stuff at cost.

    I really think a college fund has GOT to be the best thing to do with it. This sounds incredibly corny, but if you can help him avoid some crippling debt later on, that’s an incredible gift.

    If you’re gonna get him cool stuff, there’s got to be a new computer in there somewhere, though.(I posted this sentiment on jish’s site, too).

    What a shame, all these people wanting to donate money and it’s being cut short. If left open long enough (read: one more week) I’ll bet it would eclipse 10k! And as for the scholarship, I hope that was a joke.

    Hell I’m skint just now, but would LOVE to donate some money! Open the account!

    I think Apple would be silly not to use ‘Star Wars Kid’ as some form of promotion… I agree that they should send him a top of the range Titanium Apple Laptop and high-spec iPod!

    ‘Star Wars Kid’ has brightened my day and those who I’ve shown the videos to. I hope he gets over the shock of his sudden worldwide fame! Just shows you how powerful the internet actually is!

    Just having stumbled across this story, I feel like quoting one Michael Wincott: “But you did bring a smile to my face…”

    How many of those posting here have not, at some time in their past, been humiliated, left out, because their interests were not “in”? How many have not cursed either their weight, clothes, shyness or glasses, when said elements resulted in being ditched both from the opposite sex, social interaction, or just about anything?

    How many out there have not considered their school time to be a punishment, even though nerds in general actually do well in school?

    If you can nod approvingly to just one of the abovementioned situations, then why on earth can you bring yourself to kicking this guy, in the period of his life when he’s obvoiusly most lying down?

    I don’t usually pass for being a nice guy – like just about every other nerd, school was shit for me. That time resulted in the fact that I now view life, and other people with scepticism, distrust and a good amount of misanthropy.

    The Star Wars Kid has become, in my eyes, the nerds getting one back.

    No matter what the donations end up with, I hope this will be an incident he will be able to look back at, and smile. All in all, Ghyslain got one back for the collective lot of us. So support him.

    Hey, I got a little faith in humanity restored from this story. I say, as just about everyone else, re-open the donations. What could it hurt?

    Oh yeah, FYI: Nerds *can* become successful before landing a programming job or likewise.

    I’m 21, have a life, at times, a girlfriend, been offered the opportunity to play live acts at various clubs with my band – and so forth.

    Live the dream, dammit. Nerds deserve it!

    /Fall

    “College is free in Canada.”

    Ha! Then explain why I owe CDN$57,000 in student loans!

    Public College is free in Quebec. Private College are not. But you can still have a loan (for an appartment or books or whatever). University is not free.

    Kudos to you Andy Baio,

    What a refreshing act you did here; you may have changed this kid’s outlook on life just by getting us to do something about his plight.

    When I see things like this happen, I tell myself life is good!

    YET another Vote for RE-OPENING the fund raising! Please – this guy deserves it! I wish there was a high quality version of this REMIX VERSION.

    We watched the video in the office today and Star Wars Kid gave us a great time!

    Thank you Star Wars Kid for making my day a little happier! Appreciate it, I really do. I work in an international Company doing E-Commerce and you just gave us all a nice break from the stress of the day!

    May the force be with you…

    Andy, i think you should act as the kid’s LA representation and get him booked on Letterman, so he can learn the true meaning of American celebrity (remember Mahir).

    Again, I’d like to stress getting this guy a part in future StarWars installments. That would totally rock. And it’s sweet to see ’em getting so much support as well for his iPOD … but I do think it would be cool to get ’em a digi-camcorder as well.

    ehhh… Letterman’s NY. LA=Jay Leno;tonight show;NBC Burbank, which I think is more appropriate a show for introducing young talents like SWKid.

    I say send the kid a truckload of Alberta beef!! It is the best beef in the world, never mind about the mad cow B.S.!!

    P.S. I haven’t seen the video, can someone post a link to where I can download it?

    Thanks.

    Reopen the fund. Is there any reason at all NOT to see how far this can go, as long as it’s all in the open!? When I came across this I played both vids over and over again dying with laughter.. His attitude is truly priceless.. I for one would not mind seeing this kid get rich.

    Did I say that I think the fund should reopen? REOPEN THE FUND!

    I’d have to agree with most people here. It was a great initiative but I really can’t understand why you’re closing the donations so soon, especially now that the whole thing is getting serious exposure… I do realize that you didn’t intend to gather so much money in the first place, but if the people are willing to give, why stop them? If they’re is a rational reason for it, please share it with us 🙂

    You’re the man. Don’t close the fund. I want to do my part. Ghyslain’s no different than millions of us that grew up diggin’ Star Wars and anyone out there that thinks they’re uber-cool because they never acted out something in private suffer a life lacking in passion and imagination. It’s kids like Ghyslain that grow up to make the kind of movies that are worth seeing, the stories that are worth reading and games worth playing. The rest of you “cool” people can step away from your cappucinos and laptops and take a hard look at why making fun of a young man gives you pleasure. You go, Ghyslain. We’re out here and we’re behind you. Don’t let the assholes get to you down because the rest of us are just like you – and we kick ass.

    Someone should contact Ebay/Paypal while they’re at it and get them to waive the merchant fee. That’s a big chunka change we lost on fees. There’s gotta be someone who works there that has visited this site and know a good community service opportunity when they see one.

    Also, open up the fund. My whole office was gonna donate. Can you imagine how stupid those kids who posted the video would feel if Ghyslain were to get his Univerity education paid for by geeks???

    I feel bad for the person who donated $500. Why not just give it to Bill Gates?

    Look I know this guy …. you guys only the “geek” side of him I can tell you that he is very intelligent not good in school but kind of like a Einstein guy. Just stop talking about it … I don’t think you guys would like to have a suicide or something on your back ….

    From an angry friend

    Wow! Great story! Just found out about this today and I have to say I watched the video laughing my butt off. But truly, I hope Ghyslain knows just how much my laughter was at myself. I remember being a little younger than him, air guitaring to Urban Chimpmonk with a good friend of mine having a great time being kids. Had someone video taped it and put it on the internet we would have been mortified. But that friend of mine and I recalled those times fondly recently when we got together for a wedding. Thank you Ghyslain. You ROCK!

    EVERYBODY SHOULD TEAM UP AND MAKE A PETITION SO THAT HE COULD GO SEE (OR EVEN BE) IN THE NEXT STARWARS MOVIE IT WOULD BE SO COOL!!!

    I hope you all realise that its 4 grand american, to us canadians that a shit load of money, when the canadian dollar is low up to 7 grand

    Someone needs to donate a case of Raging Cow (the hip new beverage from Dr. Pepper/7up) to this great young kid to go along with his nifty Mac products.

    What a great story!!!

    (I can’t tell who benefits more, LucasFilm or Apple Computers.)

    Star Wars Kid is the coolest! Please reopen the fund. I can’t think of a better way to spend my money than to make the vapid creeps that conspired to embarrass Ghyslain laugh out of the other side of their faces. What better revenge than to have them witness that “Star Wars Kid” is appreciated and admired by the geeks of the world (future and past), and that this admiration has paid off in spades.

    Ghyslain, you rule! I hope that this is the start of wonderful future for you.

    I’d gladly donate if the fund were reopened, I don’t see the reason in closing it period. This guy suffered from the humiliation he received, everywhere he turned on the net he probably found things bringing his name down, that’s not something that would brighten my day, I know that much…

    Here’s for keeping the donations open indefinitely or at least for another couple weeks. People want to donate, so what’s the harm?

    Ghyslain… we love you!!

    This movie is joyful, sheer abandon captured. Please re-open the fund so he can have and iPOD and a digital movie camera and a scholarship…. and loads of other cool stuff!!

    J

    |||

    It might be a good idea to re-open the donations if only to prevent the unscrupulous out there from opening their own and keeping the proceeds. It’s probably a lot of work to keep all that info straight and well paper-trailed for tax and legal purposes, but we don’t want it being taken up by the spamming scum and turned into a money-making hoax now, do we?

    |||

    Perhaps suggest to his parents to open their own Paypal account to accept further donations, and skip all the middle men. Use what’s been collected here to gift him with toys and cash, and let all further proceeds go straight into a college fund.

    |||

    http://www.fluffandsuch.com/

    He seems like a good kid. Deep down, we all did some things we wish were’nt seen by anyone, but this thing got outta hand. Let the donations roll, make him happy and M. Lucas, be a sport and let him Cameo on the next film. Vive Ghislain, t’es cool en sti !

    To the Star Wars Kid Himself,

    Remember.

    Hate leads to the Dark Side.

    Fear leads to the Dark Side.

    There is no emotion; there is peace.

    There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

    There is no passion; there is serenity.

    There is no death; there is the Force.

    Live your life the way you want to live it.

    May the Force be with you .WINK.

    omg, you’re THAT andy. I know Jish as well, but only when he comes through Toronto. What a small world.

    Just thought I’d let you all know, an article on the Star Wars Kid made it in the Daily Mirror across the water in the United Kingdom.

    Someone posted: “anyone out there that thinks they’re uber-cool because they never acted out something in private suffer a life lacking in passion and imagination. It’s kids like Ghyslain that grow up to make the kind of movies that are worth seeing, the stories that are worth reading and games worth playing.”

    Words of Wisdom I say.

    Also, I’d like to say that I’m impressed by the compassion showed by some of you people. But understand that the kid probably just wants to be left in peace. He lives in a small small town and you can be sure that everybody there knows about him now. It must be hard for Ghyslain, even with all the gifts and the support given to compensate him. How’re you supposed to cope with that kind of unrequested attention at that age???

    Just leave him alone.

    Note: with 4000$ US, you can pay for AT LEAST 3 years of university in Quebec. School is cheap up there.

    Star Wars Kid- The UK takes it Hat off to you! You are the Main Man..May the Force be with you….

    Cher Ghislain,

    Je sais exactement ce que tu ressens, j’ai moi même été le dindon de la farce à plusieurs reprises dans mon adolescence. Ma mère ma toujours dit “Quand on crache en l’air ça fini par nous retomber sur la tête” et je te jure que c’est vrai, ce genre de personnes qu’y n’ont rien de mieux a faire que rirent des autres finissent toujours par payer un jour ou l’autre. Maintenant tu peux regarder les choses d’une autre façon. Ces personnes ont bien rient à tes dépend, c’est maintenant à ton tour de rire d’eux car en bout de ligne, je crois que cette expérience s’avérera positive sans compter les cadeaux offert par plusieurs Internautes.

    Je te souhaite la meilleur des chances.

    Minako

    PS: to MISTER M I agree that Schools are cheaper in Quebec, but when I did my last session at UQAM (université du Québec à Montréal) it was 1000$ by session(around 4 months) and that was 10 years ago !

    So it would be 2000$/year, CANADIAN, which makes it about 1,400$ US. So 4000$ US would pay for 3 years.

    bonjour ghyslain ! je n’ai pas encore vu le video, mais je suis bien contente pour toi ! et ne t’en fais pas, tout le monde te trouve bien cool d’apres ce que j’ai compris !!!

    et vraiment, vraiment, RE-OPEN THE FUNDS !!!!!!!!!!! come on everybody wants to donate !

Comments are closed.