Why People Are Giving This Man Almost $2 Million in Free Bitcoin
By Lucinda Shen
Even though bitcoin prices have reached over $15,700, some users are quite literally giving it away to one man, mapparently making an overnight millionaire of an early bitcoin advocate who says he only just recently paid off his debts.
After revealing in late November he had not profited off bitcoin’s nearly 2,000% rise over the last year, Andreas Antonopoulos, who has convinced many to get into the bitcoin game through his speeches and books, received hundreds of donations totaling $1.6 million worth of bitcoin as of Friday. That’s about 102 tokens over the course of three days.
“Words are my craft, but tonight I am speechless,” he wrote on Twitter Wednesday, noting shortly afterward that he was going offline for a few days to “process everything that happened.”
The windfall came after a Twitter user questioned why Antonopoulos, a well-known figure in the bitcoin community, needed donations via Patreon to fund his work and living. Some assumed that bitcoin’s massive rise likely left Antonopoulos rich, given his early advocacy for the cryptocurrency. Antonpoulos countered, noting that he only recently got out of debt and couldn’t hold on to his early investments.
But the donations really began flooding in when, days later, another well-known bitcoin advocate, Roger Ver appeared to rub salt in his wounds, questioning why Antonopoulos hadn’t made investments in Bitcoin.
Jonathan Sterling
@JSterling8
Replying to @Xentagz @aantonop
He’s a multimillionaire, no? Does he need the money at this point? Why not support a smaller content creator that the money would help more?
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
@aantonop
I’m not a bitcoin millionnaire. I was working for free, instead of investing, for the first 2 years. Only recently got out of debt.
My supporters on Patreon, many at $5/month, make it possible for me to work with independence.
9:38 AM – Nov 30, 2017
“I did invest, Roger,” Antonpoulos wrote, adding that he couldn’t afford to buy into bitcoin at the time.
Roger Ver
@rogerkver
Andreas is one of the most eloquent speakers on the topic of Bitcoin, but if he had invested even $300 in bitcoin back in 2012, he’d be a millionaire today.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
@aantonop
I did invest, Roger. Then I sold in 2013 to pay my rent. I didn’t have disposable income to work for two years without pay and invest at the same time. I should’ve gone into more debt, but that would have been irresponsible towards my family who I supported
12:44 PM – Dec 5, 2017
Antonopuolos elaborated further on Patreon, saying that he had fallen in love with bitcoin around 2012. Because of his passion for the cryptocurrency, he eventually abandoned his job as a freelance consultant, deciding instead to speak at conferences about bitcoin, consulting for startups, and writing articles free of charge. By late 2013, he had begun liquidating his retirement fund and went deep into debt in order to fund his activities.
“I could’ve become wealthy. If only I hadn’t sold. If only I hadn’t given away hundreds of bitcoin to complete strangers. If only I had reduced my expenses more. If only I had made smarter choices. If only…” Antonpuolos wrote in a Patreon post, explaining that while he felt fortunate to be debt-free, the critical tweets on Twitter were still painful reminders of his past choices.
As a result of the posts on Twitter and Patreon, bitcoin owners began donating bitcoins to Antonpuolos’ Bitcoin address. Most gave a fraction of a bitcoin to the cryptocurrency advocate. But others gave much more—one user gave 37 bitcoin, or about $580,900. Another sent him $659,400 worth.
Twitter, meanwhile, turned into a love-fest over Antonpoulos and his roadshows.
Erik Voorhees
@ErikVoorhees
If you’ve ever learned about, participated, used or benefited from Bitcoin in any way, please donate to Andreas M. Antonopoulos #THANKYOUANDREAS https://antonopoulos.com/donate/
9:29 AM – Dec 6, 2017
cryptograffiti
@cryptograffiti
Speaking just as passionately about Bitcoin to an empty room in mid-2013 as he does now to thousands. Thank you, Andreas. You motivated me to enter this space full time as an artist. You’re not just one of the best speakers in our industry, you’re one of the best in any industry.
9:39 AM – Dec 7, 2017
cryptograffiti
@cryptograffiti
Speaking just as passionately about Bitcoin to an empty room in mid-2013 as he does now to thousands. Thank you, Andreas. You motivated me to enter this space full time as an artist. You’re not just one of the best speakers in our industry, you’re one of the best in any industry.
Itsmee.Bosslady
@SommerzWorld
He’s the reason I got into bitcoin full time too #legend #GameChanger
10:59 AM – Dec 7, 2017
“I sat reading the responses with tears in my eyes. An outpouring of positivity washed over me,” Antonpoulos wrote. “People I have never met jumped to my defense, reminding me that they started their journey after watching my videos, or reading my books.”
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