Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

TikTok Steps Up For Man Who Wasn't Given Proper Send-Off After 42 Years Making Minimum Wage

Screenshots from @m3nta11y1ll1's TikTok video of retiree's last day on the job
@m3nta11y1ll1/TikTok

After video of TikToker @m3nta11y1ll1's elderly coworker only being sent into retirement with a certificate and a barbeque went viral, the internet stepped up big time to raise money to make his retirement something to remember.

A TikTok video elicited sympathy from the internet when viewers learned that a septuagenarian who earned minimum wage working for the same company for 42 years was rewarded with just a BBQ and a certificate.

The clip featuring John Bartlett's final day on the job, filmed and shared by co-worker Soniah, a.k.a TikToker @m3nta11y1ll1, went viral and inspired a fund to give the retiree the send-off he deserved.


The text overlay in Soniah's video explained:

“Today is my co-worker’s last day."
“He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage. The company only threw him a barbecue and gave him a certificate.”

Sonia continued:

“He takes the bus and BART [Bay Area Rapid Transit] to get here everyday on time."
"He’s 70+. He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire.”

She ended with a word of caution to younger workers before expressing gratitude.

“Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you John for your loyalty.”

Here is the clip.

@m3nta11y1ll1

This was sad to see him leave with just a piece of paper saying he worked for 42 years.


Soniah's video tugged at heartstrings and racked up over 9.4 million views since she posted it on September 29.

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok


Heartbroken TikTokers asked how they could help.

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok


@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok


The video also prompted a discussion about job loyalty.

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

Due to many inquiries asking how they could assist Bartlett, Soniah started a GoFundMe on his behalf.

"Can we give John a little something more for his retirement?" she asked donors in the description.

"Or maybe just some positive vibes and words of encouragement to get him through the rest of his days."
"He has no wife or kids however he does have a nephew whom he loves dearly."
"It would be nice to give him some kind of company or something to do so he knows that he’s special and loved."
"Thank you for bringing awareness! If anyone would like to keep John occupied, please send positive thoughts, he loves to read!"

After the fundraiser got off to a slow start...

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

...Soniah shared an update about how much the fund earned.

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

@m3nta11y1II1/TikTok

Bartlett's now-closed campaign raised $89,745–far ahead of its $28,000.00 campaign goal.

Happy retirement, John!

More from Trending

Kendra Wilkinson
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Former 'Playboy' Star Claps Back At Body-Shaming Trolls With Empowering Post

Kendra Wilkinson has had it with people coming for her appearance online.

The former Playboy Bunny and star of the reality show Girls Next Door, which followed the lives of live-in girlfriends at Hugh Hefner's mansion, recently shared a post on Instagram addressing some of the online criticism she had received recently over what people had perceived as a radical change in body from the 20-year-old they saw back in her Playboy days in 2005.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brad Pitt
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

French Woman Scammed Out Of $850k By Fake 'Brad Pitt'—And The AI Photos Are Something Else

A French woman was scammed out of $850,000 when she drained her bank account to give the money to who she thought was Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt.

Spoiler alert, it wasn't.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of angry Philadelphia Eagles fan behind female Green Bay Packers fan
@Basaraski/X

Eagles Fan Under Investigation After He Was Caught On Video Hurling Vile Abuse At Packers Fan

Spirited rivalry is par for the course when sports fans root for their home teams, and tensions can get exacerbated when alcohol is involved.

However, one Philadelphia Eagles fan attending Sunday's NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly crossed the line when he berated a female fan cheering on the visiting Green Bay Packers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lara Trump
Fox News

Lara Trump Gets Swiftly Schooled After Doubting How Climate Change Could Cause L.A. Wildfires

President-elect Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump—the former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair—was criticized after she erroneously claimed that climate change couldn't be a factor in the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, only to be given a blunt fact-check on social media.

Firefighters in Ventura County worked to contain a new brush fire in the Santa Clara River bottom Tuesday as powerful Santa Ana winds raised the risk of additional blazes across Southern California, currently facing some of the worst fires in the state's history.

Keep ReadingShow less
TikTok logo; Elon Musk
Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

TikTok Bluntly Shuts Down Report Claiming They Might Sell The Platform To Elon Musk

If you're active on TikTok you know that it's been quite an eventful few weeks on the app, as users wait to see what will become of it as the January 19 deadline for the proposed ban rapidly approaches.

But one potential solution that was floating around just might be worse than banning the app altogether, at least in the minds of many users: a purchase of the app by Elon Musk.

Keep ReadingShow less