John Oliver pays off $15 million in strangers' medical debts
During a segment Last Week Tonight in 2016, John Oliver discussed how predatory entities will buy debt from banks for cents on the dollar, earning a profit by harassing debtors to cough up the money. He then announced his plan to fight back.
Oliver created his own "debt-buying company" and purchased $15 million in medical debt for a mere $60,000 by comparison. He noted how frightening it was to wield that much power over the lives of roughly 9,000 individuals. Fortunately, he announced that every cent of that debt would be forgiven. The stunt helped to draw attention to the issue.