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‘Big Bang Theory’ actor Kunal Nayyar aids families via anonymous GoFundMe donations

The "Big Bang Theory" star said he has been donating anonymously to selected GoFundMe campaigns.
Kunal Nayyar: The "Big Bang Theory" actor said he has been donating anonymously to selected GoFundMe campaigns. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Kunal Nayyar has been spreading the wealth recently, as the “Big Bang Theory” actor revealed in an interview that he visits GoFundMe sites and anonymously donates cash to families struggling to pay medical bills.

Nayyar, 44, who played Raj Koothrappali in 279 episodes of the television sitcom from 2007 to 2019, spoke about his charitable donations in a December interview with The i Paper, Variety reported.

“Money has given me greater freedom and the greatest gift is the ability to give back, to change people’s lives,” Nayyar said during the interview. “We also support animal charities because we love dogs. But what I really love to do is go on GoFundMe at night and just pay random families’ medical bills. That’s my masked vigilante thing! So, no, money doesn’t feel like a burden. It feels like a grace from the universe.”

Nayyar did not reveal who he has sent money to, and the actor received some criticism on social media for blowing his cover as an anonymous donor. He also received an equal amount of support as the debate raged on X.

Fortune magazine reported that Nayyar’s estimated net worth is $45 million.

During the 12-year run of “The Big Bang Theory,” cast members were reportedly earning $1 million per episode at the height of the show’s popularity, Variety reported.

Forbes ranked Nayyar as the world’s third-highest-paid television actor in 2015 and 2018. He reportedly pulled down annual earnings of $20 million and $23.5 million, according to the website.

The actor told The i Paper that wealth does not “weigh heavy” on him, adding that he was happy to donate to charitable causes.

Nayyar’s interview received more publicity after friends of the late James Van Der Beek launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his widow and children after he lost his battle to cancer on Feb. 11.

The campaign raised $2.6 million, Variety reported.

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