Overview
- Ed Bambas was presented an oversized check for roughly $1.7–$1.77 million at a Brighton, Michigan event after donations poured in this week.
- Australian creator Sam Weidenhofer’s TikTok prompted a GoFundMe that drew tens of thousands of contributions, with totals reported approaching $1.8 million.
- Foguth Financial set up a trust to manage the gift, and Meijer said it will provide no‑cost financial planning; Bambas expects to pay about $225,000 in debt.
- Bambas, who retired from GM in 1999, said medical bills from his late wife’s long illness and reduced retirement income led him back to full‑time work at age 82.
- Coverage notes a discrepancy over his pension history as GM cites retiree options including lump‑sum payouts, and local reports say Bambas later clarified he received a buyout.