Regular readers of this blog may have ascertained at this point that my favorite YouTube prank channel is Magic of Rahat, best known for the “headless drive-thru” and “walking on water” pranks. Rahat is a master magician, but he also has a big heart–and his fans are following suit. After raising $44,000, Rahat has purchased and furnished a house for a homeless man named Eric.
Eric first appeared in one of Rahat’s videos in March, when he was the target of a “prank” in which he cashed in a fake lottery ticket. The video went viral, reeling in more than 15 million views to date. “People were touched by Eric’s selfless act of wanting to share the money,” explained Rahat.
Since then, Eric has had a recurring presence in Rahat’s videos, and the magician’s latest act of kindness towards his homeless friend is his biggest yet. Rahat set up a fund through which he hoped to raise $20,000 to improve Eric’s life. His fans on YouTube and Reddit came through in a big way, donating more than $44,000 to the cause. With that money, Rahat was able to rent and furnish a house, which he presented to Eric in his latest video:
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Eric also managed to find a job, so he’ll be able to support himself on his own (and the extra $20,000 in his bank account won’t hurt either.) Rahat and his company Penguin Magic have also pledged to donate any ad revenue he makes from the video to homeless shelters. Let’s all commend Rahat for his big heart and give his supporters an Internet pat on the back.
