• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

DraftKings CEO Donates Over $100K To Poor People In Pakistan Post-Burner Flap

Listen, getting this whole tale in a headline is a fool's errand, so just grab a cup of coffee and read on

Jeff Edelstein by Jeff Edelstein
December 1, 2021
in Features
charity grocer

Photo: Charity Grocer, via Facebook

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

If you had told me at the start of business Tuesday that I would be called an β€œidiot” by the CEO of DraftKings and then, moments later, play a not-insignificant role in securing $100,000 for the building of water wells in the poorest parts of Pakistan, well, you could’ve knocked me over with just the mere whiff of a feather.

But you never know, y’know?

It started with the Twitterverse going gaga over the idea that Jason Robins, the CEO of DraftKings — and who no longer thinks of me an idiot, thank you very much, though that comes later — was running a burner account for himself on Twitter. You know, an account to take on the haters.

Is this the most obvious Jason Robins burner of all time? 39 tweets all responses to negative things about Jason/DK. 10 followers with Jason being one lol https://t.co/1FhYDjNPXq

— AF (@AFrantzie) November 30, 2021

And truthfully, the account — which was under the name of @GazipuraMo — did look a trifle suspicious. Mo had been a Twitter member since 2015, but only started tweeting on Nov. 25 of this year, and all of his tweets were in defense of DraftKings and/or Robins.

One tweet, in particular, stood out. Ol’ Mo asked a question, and then posted directly underneath it β€œgood question!” It seemed as if Robins forgot to switch accounts.

It really did look pretty bad, all things considered. It’s embarrassing to get caught with a burner. Just ask Kevin Durant or Bryan Colangelo.

Sign Up For The Sports Handle Newsletter!
I also want to receive information and offers about online sportsbooks (eg. odds boost, welcome offers)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! pic.twitter.com/eUz5Lq0QOj

— Jason Robins (@JasonDRobins) November 25, 2021

And when Mo was confronted with this — and more — on Twitter, he laughed it off and pointed people to his Linkedin page, which yielded more information about a man known as Mohsin Gazipura, who listed his job as CEO of Charity Grocer.

Ace reporter to the scene

At this point, I, being an award-winning* journalist, decided to try and track down this mysterious Mo. (*It’s true. I have won one first place journalism award in my life, and it was the first column I ever published. It’s been a steady downhill slide. But enough about me. For now.)

Anyway, I oh-so-cleverly @ messaged the guy on Twitter, and said let’s talk, and he said, β€œsure, in 15 minutes” and next thing you know I’m talking to Mo and — unless this was a seven-year catfishing plan meant to ensnare me — I am wholly convinced that Mo and Robins are not the same person, not connected in any way. Mo is simply a retail investor who is long on DraftKings and trying his best, via Twitter, to shut up the haters.

So I wrote up the story with the headline, β€œDoes DraftKings CEO Jason Robins Have A Twitter Burner Account?” and the answer to that question was pretty much in the sub-headline, but Robins saw it and … well, he was upset and took to Twitter to show his displeasure, calling me an idiot in a since-deleted tweet.Β 

I then @’d Robins — we had never had any interaction previous to this — imploring him to read the whole article.

And that’s when the wheels of clean water for Pakistanis started spinning.

The word ‘bonkers’ comes to mind

Within minutes, Robins DM’d me, apologizing for the β€œidiot” remark, though noting the headline was β€œa bit tough,” which I can grok. I get it. It was a little click-baity, but I stand by it.Β 

What happened next, however, was probably a breach or three of journalism ethics, but whatever.Β 

I basically told Robins it would be cool if he made a donation to Gazipura’s charity, Charity Grocer, which helps get food and water to poverty-stricken Pakistanis in rural areas.

Robins loved the idea. I told him I’d pass along Gazipura’s number, which I put in my phone as β€œMo (Not Jason Robins)” because I enjoy delighting myself. I told Gazipura to expect a call. I expected Robins to donate $500, maybe $1,000.Β 

He donated $100,000. Well, actually over $107,000, as he also ate the credit card fees.

Charity Grocer just received a $100,000 donation from @JasonDRobins! Pakistan is a country that’s suffering! Many people don’t have access to food, water and shelter. Your generosity will help so many people. and I can’t wait to put it to good use. We cannot thank you enough!

— Mo (@GazipuraMo) December 1, 2021

β€œIt’s insane,” Gazipura told me. β€œThe truth is I just started this charity with me, and I have some family back in Pakistan, so I have three or four people there, and I think we’ve gotten about $30,000 in donations over the past two or three years. We’re a fairly small charity, but just thinking about what this is going to do for a country that’s struggling, for a country that doesn’t have access to vaccines, doesn’t have access to clean water.

β€œWe’re going to have to move beyond grocery delivery,” he continued. β€œWe can use this money to build wells in rural areas. This is an amount of money we never expected as a donation. I’m in shock. This is insane.”

It’s so much money, Gazipura spent most of the last 24 hours trying to figure out how best to spend it past the wells and the groceries, including using some of it as college funds for Pakistani women.

At any rate, Gazipura said Robins messaged him, thanked him for the support on Twitter, asked to make a donation, and then Gazipura got an email showing the amount.

β€œI thanked him so much, he said it was his pleasure and that he hopes it helps a lot. Insane. Just insane.”

As for Robins?

β€œI was glad to see there was a silver lining to the situation,” he told me via email. β€œThrough the story, I learned that Mo is not only a believer in DraftKings, but is also doing good for others in need. Supporting people and organizations doing good has been something I have always done. Mo has been highly engaged on social media and showed that he deeply understands the business, which caught my attention. And, after learning about Mo’s charitable work, I was inspired by his cause and wanted to do my part to help and also support him given the unintended attention he received on Twitter as a result of this mix-up.”

And about that β€œmix-up,” as Robins refers to it?

β€œI was made aware of the rumor in the lead-up to the publishing of the story, but didn’t think it was anything more than something silly and a byproduct of the age we are living in where misinformation spreads quickly across social media,” he said.

So yeah. Just your average Twitter burner non-story CEO rural Pakistani charity tale. As I said up top: Tough to get in a headline.

All’s well that ends well, I suppose, and yes, that is doubling as a very bad pun.

ShareTweetShare
Jeff Edelstein

Jeff Edelstein

Jeff is a veteran journalist, working as a columnist for The Trentonian newspaper in Trenton, NJ for a number of years. He's also an avid sports bettor and DFS player. He can be reached at [email protected].

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only.

Related Posts

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Industry

Pennsylvania Sportsbooks Saw More Action In August, And Bettors Did Better

September 19, 2023
wall street bull
Industry

Roundhill To Modify Underlying Index For Sports Betting And iGaming Fund

September 19, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

hard rock guitars hotel lobby

Mobile Sports Betting In Florida At Least A Few Weeks Away, And Probably Much More

September 19, 2023
Getty Images

Will Prohibet Provide One-Stop Shopping For Detection Of Sports Betting Infractions?

September 14, 2023
have-a-game-plan-bet-responsibly-screenshot

Bettors Know All About Responsible Gambling, But Most Don’t Use Tools

September 12, 2023
nfl logo football

Schuetz: Football Is Back β€” Forget Everything You ThinkΒ You Know About Betting

September 6, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Sports Betting in Kentucky

Kentucky Sports Betting – Pre-Launch Offers & Best Legal Sportsbook Apps for 2023

by Dukes Wooters
September 19, 2023

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – All Online Sportsbooks, Bonus Offers, and News 2023

by Brian Pempus
September 21, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
September 6, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
September 1, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
September 6, 2023

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps 2023

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Lottery
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright Β© 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News