Investors who made large sums of money through the GameStop investment program that was organised through Reddit have donated some of their gains to help endangered species, including mountain gorillas, turtles, elephants, orangutans and wolves.
So far the investors, again organising through Reddit, have donated hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to animal conservation charities across the world. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has received over $350,000 and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which operates in Kenya has also received $10,000. These are great causes at the best of times, but with the ongoing pandemic and economic instability these organisations have seen a lot of their funding dry up, meaning that the donations are more welcome than ever.
Dr. Tara Stoinski, president, chief executive and chief scientific officer for the gorilla fund said of the donations:
"The support that has come to our organisation, as well as others, is amazing. One of the biggest challenges in conservation is just that there's not enough funding for the challenges we face on the ground. A lot of people just aren't aware that gorillas are such at-risk species and that we could lose them."
While Amie Alden of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said:
"It's a new supporter base for us, for sure, one that we're extremely thankful for. We've currently got more than 90 dependent orphaned elephants in our care and it's an expensive undertaking. It's a named individual that has a personality, characteristics and a unique rescue story. Through that donation they have access to monthly updates written by their keepers on their specific orphan. We were one of the early charities to try this method. I think it opens a real window on elephants' intelligence, their emotions, their family, and it's these sort of elements that really connect people to the difference they're making."
The WallStreetBets subreddit made large returns earlier this year when they organised to invest as a group into the GameStop video game retail outlet. Their individual investments, ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars, boosted the stock price and those that cashed out at the peak made a significant return. It also caused 'short-sellers', who bet against a company to lose value, millions of dollars. Many people regard short-sellers as unethical and predatory.
It is thought that these charitable donations may even limit the amount of tax the investors have to pay on their returns, making the donation mutually beneficial.
[h/t: The Mind Unleashed]
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