When the rich say they’re broke, there’s a high chance that they still have more money than you.

Wealth can skew perspectives, whether it’s for the better or for the worse.

In case you aren’t fully caught up on the NOC saga, you can watch this video:

To cut the story short though, ex-NOC founder Ryan Tan confessed in his Instagram stories recently that he was “officially broke” due to a multitude of reasons, ranging from relationship problems that split his company apart and investments that have yet to see returns.

(Plus extravagant spending. Never forget that.)

However, one fair stranger caught wind of the news that Ryan Tan was broke, so he decided to wire him $1,000 to help him.

The Backlash From Netizens

Typically, donations are viewed as good things, but when someone donates to a richer person, everyone gets up to protest.

According to Khoo Keat Hwee, the stranger who donated the thousand dollars, he hadn’t donated the money because he wanted the money.

When he wired the money over to Ryan, Khoo said that he only wanted to see the 35-year-old YouTuber rise again, and that he was rooting for him.

On 25 June, Khoo made a TikTok video to further explain that he donated the money to Ryan because his story struck “close to his heart”.

However, Khoo then received a barrage of messages from the netizens, telling him that “Ryan is rich”.

They list many good examples for him, like Ryan’s penthouse renovations in 2020 which cost him $200,000, or how his new company Reno King managed to get a whole, cozy-looking and brand-new office.

Others stated that Khoo’s money could have gone to better avenues, like poor families who genuinely needed the money or charitable organisations.

Perhaps due to the social pressure, Ryan was compelled to return the $1,000, even though Khoo maintained that he didn’t want a refund.

Khoo’s Response

For the sake of clearing up the situation, Khoo posted a second TikTok video on Wednesday (29 June) where he explained that he didn’t actually know who Ryan Tan was.

Honestly, I’m not sure if that’s an insult or compliment to the YouTuber-slash social media influencer.

But that’s beside the point.

In the caption of the video, he wrote “I misunderstood Ryan’s meaning of being broke. Yep I helped. Now I realised he’s doing way better than me still.”

In the background, the music sings “the joke is on you”, and Khoo ridicules himself by saying, “the joke is on me”.

Nevertheless, Khoo doesn’t apologise for his act of kindness, claiming that he just enjoyed helping people and he honestly wanted to extend an olive branch to someone who had gone through a huge fall.

Khoo goes on to state that he has decided to donate $1,000 each to three Non-Profit Organisations (NGO). He’s aware that some critics will think of his actions as a publicity stunt, but his swears that his philanthropy is a cultivated habit.

Afterwards, the kind stranger shared that he used to have financial troubles too, wherein a failed F&B venture had racked up $120,000 of debt for him to pay off.

In order to clear that debt, he had to work 12- to 16-hour shifts as a Grab driver for two years straight.

Now that his financial position has stabilised, he wants to help those in need.

Khoo revealed to AsianOne that he has already donated $1,000 each to the Singapore Association for Mental Health and social activist Gilbert Goh. He intends to donate the same amount to the migrant worker charity Its Raining Raincoats and Voices for Animals.

Just recently, he transferred $200 to three different individuals who were in debt, and he’s currently advising them on their debt repayment scheme.

“Whoever I donate to, people will have things to say. I just gotta do [what I have to].”

Words never spoken truer.

It’s his money anyway, let the man do what he wants.

Featured Images: Instagram (Ryan Tan) & Shin Min Daily News