In January, those who invested in GameStop stock and capitalised on the surge generated from their own demand won big. As the situation continues to wax and wane, it's been reported that these Redditors are donating enormous sums to a gorilla conservation charity.
With their earnings, some were able to pay off college loans, others used the money to renovate their homes, and a handful finally bought the flashy cars they'd had their eyes on. I mean, after the year we've had, I doubt you'd find fault with even the most impulsive of acquisitions from this lot. Yet, if you're surprised to hear that there's been a push to adopt gorillas and support animal charities with their newfound cash, it's all down to the community's persona. See, r/WallStreetBets consider themselves to be but humble primates in comparison to the galaxy-brained men in suits running the show in market trading.
Reflecting the communal decision to focus on conservation charities, the banner of the subreddit has since been changed to that of a jungle scene with a person in a gorilla suit wearing sunglasses. What's more is that the announcements that people have been adopting the animals from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund are arriving every now and then, showing that this is hardly a flight of fancy for the members of r/WallStreetBets. Their combined generosity has given rise to some astounding numbers, too. More than $301,000 across 2,000 new adoptions has been raised for the charity, and the organisation reports that the donations are "still coming." The money will be used for field projects in aid of the understanding and tracking of wild gorillas for their preservation into the future.
"This is a perfect example of why I'm glad I joined this community a little more than a month ago. A bunch of degenerates with enormous hearts. I love you guys," said Stak215 in response to the news. In fact, Tara Stoinski who is the president and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund shared a video to thank the Redditors for their altruism. It is an incredible show of support, and especially given that the impact of the pandemic on economies has led to lots of people tightening their belts for the foreseeable.
Advert
While this occurs, the U.S. government will continue its investigation into the manipulation of the stock market by the group earlier this year. Turns out it's only funny when Wall Street does it. Who knew? Keith Gill, the Redditor/YouTuber considered to be the mastermind of the move, testified before Congress in February and called the claims that he was the motivator of thousands of people "preposterous."