Turning charitable acts into spectacles has earned Harsha Sai a rabid fan following. But this has also raised questions about his wealth and intentions.

This on-ground report on India’s largest “stunt philanthropist” sheds light on how YouTube’s engagement-driven model is changing the nature of charity.  Through high-budget stunts such as “turning poor milkman into a millionaire” or “turning a barber into a millionaire,” Harsha Sai has turned charitable acts into grand spectacles on YouTube. It has earned Sai fame, fortune and a rabid fan following. I try to answer what happens when the “kindness-for-clicks” model pioneered by global creators such as MrBeast, is imported into the Indian creator economy?

This piece spurred widespread debate on the ethics of gamified charity, with significant personalities weighing in.

Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of Acumen, an organization that invests in entrepreneurs to fight poverty, questioned if Sai was using generosity simply as a means to fame and wealth, or was it a way to influence others to give. Soon, Chris Anderson, the founder of TED, jumped in on the debate and said he “leaned positive” on Sai who was leveraging the power of the internet for generosity, and it was OK if he got a little famous in the process. The key question, he pointed out, is whether the ‘beneficiaries’ feel exploited or delighted?

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