BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho pizza delivery man’s act of kindness in March went viral. Now, he will enjoy retirement with the largest tip he has ever seen.
Dan Simpson, known as “Dan the Man” among pizza delivery lovers in Boise, officially retired after a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $170,000. That enabled Simpson to retire with a nice nest egg.
A Ring doorbell camera recorded Simpson interacting with a customer in late March, with the delivery driver noting that since his Domino’s location had run out of Diet Coke, he decided to buy some with his own money, KTVB reported.
Wilson can be heard offering to tip Simpson more, but the 14-year veteran of delivering pizzas declined, stating that the $6.60 he received as a gratuity was “already a good tip,” “Good Morning America” reported.
He also mentioned that he would be retiring at the end of April.
The moment went viral on TikTok after Wilson posted the exchange on March 28, with Simpson getting recognition from Domino’s and the video receiving millions of views. Domino’s ran a promotion from April 30 to May 3, where customers could use the code “Dan the Man” to receive a discount, KTVB reported.
“When Dan arrived, he surprised us,” Brian Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He apologized again for the inconvenience and then told us … he had stopped at the store himself to pick up Diet Coke for us.
“On a busy Friday night. During deliveries. Completely out of his own time and effort. We were honestly blown away. That level of care and kindness is rare these days.”
The public responded and delivered their own brand of kindness. As of Tuesday, more than $171,000 had been pledged.
“I got up this morning … and I checked my bank account and there was $163,000, what a retirement gift that was,” Simpson told KTVB.
Simpson told the television station that the attention had been overwhelming.
“I’m ready for normal again,” he said. “I got up today thinking, well, I’ll never get another phone call for an interview.”
Instead of spending the money on luxury purchases, Simpson plans to focus on simple pleasures including traveling, photography and time outdoors.
“I might buy a van. I’m gonna buy (a) decent van, I think,” he told KTVB.
Wilson told ABC News in an email last month that he was “honestly shocked” by Simpson’s gesture. He said that because he and his wife, Katey, are visually impaired, driving to a store to pick up a quick meal could be difficult at times.
“My wife is legally blind, (and) her condition has progressed past mine at this point, but I am still limited to day-driving only,” Wilson said. “When the sun goes down, there’s no chance of a quick ‘run to the store’ to pick up goods -- so we rely on deliveries quite a bit.
“We’ve never had someone go out of their way like that, and we thought it deserved to be shared.”
Wilson and his wife stood with Simpson as he received a GoFundMe check dated April 30 made out to “Dan The Man” for $170,931, People reported.
Simpson also told the television station about his battle to remain sober from alcohol and drugs. He has stayed clean for 24 years after spending time in prison because of two DUI convictions.
“When I got out, I said, ‘that’s it,’ and I knew I’d never drink again,” Simpson told KTVB. “Since then, he told the outlet, “I’ve basically worked two jobs, and I worked hard and tried to do the right thing.”
He can do that in retirement now, thanks to the generosity of many.
“The world is my oyster kind of, as long as it’s not too expensive,” Simpson told KTVB.
On the GoFundMe page, Wilson thanked people who donated, a number that had climbed to more than 8,300 by Tuesday.
“Thank you all so much for your incredible generosity, thoughtfulness, and kindness over the past month,” he wrote. “Your support and kind words have been truly life-changing for Dan. We’re honored to have been part of this experience and can’t wait to see him enjoy every moment of his well-deserved retirement.”
In a statement to ABC News, Domino’s said that Simpson’s actions “are a powerful reminder that small acts of service can sometimes leave the greatest impact.”