From Office Worker to High-Stakes Spender: Shocking Story Behind $42,000 Super Chat

A scene from the internet show Excel Broadcast. / JTBC News Screen Capture

The family of a man in his thirties, who was found dead after donating up to $42,000 a day to internet broadcasters and subsequently drowning in debt, has filed a fraud lawsuit against the broadcasters and related personnel.

According to a report by JTBC on the 24th, the family of this man, who was found dead in his car last May, has filed a police complaint for fraud, alleging that some BJs deceived viewers for personal gain.

The report stated that this man, known as a big spender among the BJs for his daily donations of up to $42,000, was, in reality, an ordinary office worker.

The show in which he participated was called Excel Broadcast. The name originates from listing the names of BJs in an Excel-like format. A famous BJ invites several guest BJs and displays the ranking of the donations they receive on the screen, fostering competition.

The show operates on a system where the BJs’ rank and whether they get kicked off the show is determined by the donations they receive. He reportedly had a debt of approximately $126,000 at the time of his death, which he accrued trying to prevent his favorite BJ from getting kicked off the show.

One BJ who received donations from him expressed his regret to the media but maintained that his choice made the donations, and she could do nothing about it.

[yarpp]

According to media reports, some BJs have been known to manipulate donation amounts using fake accounts to stimulate competition among viewers and encourage more donations.

Another BJ admitted to the media that he had resorted to self-donation using his staff to avoid getting kicked off the show and then getting the money back. They said, “I have used my own money to boost my score, but I think most viewers will turn a blind eye, and even if they know, they won’t say much about it.”

In response to allegations of deceptive practices, the BJ’s side stated, “We have kept all promises regarding the donation money at that time, and there was no manipulation.”