Wrong guy. Wrong day. Wrong prank.
A content creator walked up to a Red Baron worker stocking frozen pizzas, tried the old fake Apple Pay bit on him, and got a reality check instead of a laugh. Now the internet is paying him back, literally.
The prank
According to Newsweek, the person filming asked the employee for the time, then held his phone near the worker's phone while an Apple Pay payment sound played. Newsweek reported that he then said, "Thank you, bro, I just took ten dollars."
To viewers, the sound was obviously pre-recorded. Newsweek noted it wasn't obvious to the worker.
The worker wasn't laughing
He stayed calm at first. Then he didn't. When told it was "just a joke," the worker fired back, "It's not a joke to me, okay," according to Newsweek. "My life is hard enough as it is."
IBTimes UK reported that he also said, "I got kids at home that went to bed without me right now." India Today reported that he said he was supposed to have finished work an hour earlier and had to be up at 5 a.m. to visit 10 more stores.
Then came the line that turned a cringe prank into a national moment. According to India Today, he told the prankster: "You're probably making money off this. I can't even pay my mortgage, and I got four kids at home."
https://twitter.com/WickGoneWILD/status/2115596109523612116
Who is he?
Newsweek reported that the worker has been identified online only as "Walt Z." Just The News described him as a Red Baron Pizza grocery stocker from Michigan, and CBS Detroit reported the video was shot at a market in White Lake.
The internet showed up
A GoFundMe started by Luke Oakenshield took off fast. India Today reported that Oakenshield said he doesn't know the worker personally, was trying to find his contact details so the money would go straight to him, and won't receive any of the funds himself.
It hasn't slowed down. As of Friday afternoon, ClickOnDetroit reported the GoFundMe had raised $506,999 toward a $700,000 goal. CBS Detroit reported that the goal was raised to $700,000 and that donations ranged from $10 to $30,000.
ClickOnDetroit also reported that the original post has been deleted, but reposts have kept piling up millions of views. Just The News put the total at tens of millions.
Walt speaks
On Friday, Walt posted a thank-you on the fundraiser page, as reported by ClickOnDetroit and Just The News. "The kindness and encouragement you've shown me and my family have meant more than I can put into words," he wrote. "My family and I are doing well, and I'm grateful to have supportive people around me."
He's also been getting interview requests. According to MEAWW, he wrote that he's "considering sharing my story," but only "with people who will treat me and my family with care and respect our privacy."
Red Baron has his back
Bad news for anyone worried he'd get fired. On Thursday, Red Baron posted on X: "He's still here. He's got a fan club. Including us." MEAWW reported that the post came with a graphic reading "Employee of the month nominations are closed. You know why."
In a statement published by ClickOnDetroit, a spokesperson for parent company CJ Schwan's said the incident happened in August and that the company "connected directly with our team member to check on his well-being." The spokesperson added that "he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team" and has asked for privacy.
And the prankster?
According to IBTimes UK and Newsweek, the video carried the Instagram handle @thea.ctiveworld, also known as "Three Of A Kind," and that account appears to have since been deactivated. IBTimes UK said the identity of the person behind the account hasn't been independently established, and Newsweek said it's not clear whether that account is where the video was first posted.
Moral of the story: if your content needs someone else's bad day to work, maybe it isn't that funny.
Video still: @thea.ctiveworld via Wick Gone Wild / X
