Ford worker tells off Trump, nearly becomes a millionaire overnight. GoFundMe campaigns show how viral moments can generate instant riches

Trump responded by mouthing an expletive twice and raising his middle finger, according to The Washington Post (1). Ford swiftly suspended Sabula pending an investigation.

Within 48 hours (2), two GoFundMe campaigns launched on his behalf raised a combined $810,780 (3, 4). That's nearly enough to turn an ordinary factory worker into an overnight millionaire — all for seizing what he called his moment with fate (1).

But here’s the catch: both campaigns have since been paused, and because they were organized by third parties, it’s unclear when or how the funds would ultimately be released to him.

A politically charged payday

According to Business Insider, Sabula's two campaigns (one titled "TJ Sabula is a Patriot" and another called "Support Ford Worker TJ Sabula during suspension") accumulated donations from more than 34,000 people combined before pausing (5).

Sabula did not start either of the campaigns himself. Both fundraisers were launched by third parties who framed his suspension as a financial emergency.

The campaigns painted Sabula as a father of two facing financial uncertainty. Yet the United Auto Workers (UAW) confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that he was suspended with pay (4), meaning he wasn't losing his income.

His union also pledged full support, with UAW Ford Department director, Laura Dickerson, stating the union would ensure Sabula "receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights” (4).

Sabula told The Washington Post he has "definitely no regrets whatsoever" about the confrontation, adding, "I don't feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity” (1).

The new era of viral wealth

Sabula's story isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a growing phenomenon where a single viral moment can generate six figures in crowdfunding within days, even for people who aren't facing medical crises or genuine hardship (which are the more common reasons why a GoFundMe campaign is typically created for).

For example, in 2014, Zack Brown jokingly asked for $10 on Kickstart to make potato salad and ended up raising $55,492 from nearly 7,000 backers.

What started as an absurd prank became one of the most-viewed Kickstarter campaigns ever, showing how internet culture can transform mundane moments into cash windfalls.

The difference is that some of today's viral fundraisers emerge from politically charged moments, raising questions about when supporting someone crosses the line from genuine charity into political statement.

Even more disturbing, The Guardian reported on racist crowdfunding campaigns where individuals raised hundreds of thousands of dollars after committing or defending heinous acts. One woman collected over $750,000 after admitting to using a racial slur against a five-year-old child, with donors using Nazi symbols in their contribution names (6).