NEW YORK (PIX11) — What started out as a positive charitable event, ended in a less than comfortable altercation.
The chaos erupted at an event at Central Park’s Boat House hosted by Chen Guangbiao, a self-made Chinese billionaire.
His goal, according to him, is to share his wealth and prove to Americans that there are Chinese philanthropists in this world.
After buying a full page ad in the New York Times, Mr. Chen reached out to New York City’s homeless, vowing to treat them to a lavish lunch at the Boat House and a cash gift of $300.
Many who took part in the event were already making plans for the money.
Despite several publications reporting that Mr. Chen would be giving cash out, it turned out to be a misunderstanding.
Even for his own translator who didn’t get the memo.
Officials with the New York City Rescue Mission urged the billionaire to write a check for $90,000 instead of handing out cash, considering the high amount of addicts the shelter houses.
When word spread participants weren’t getting their money, it got awkward pretty quickly, leaving the billionaire startled and surrounded by security.
