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Red Bull spent years telling customers that its energy drink “gives you wings.”Then one longtime customer took the compa...
07/09/2026

Red Bull spent years telling customers that its energy drink “gives you wings.”

Then one longtime customer took the company to court—and the dispute ended in a settlement worth up to $13 million.

Benjamin Careathers filed a class-action lawsuit against Red Bull in 2013, arguing that the company's advertising suggested its drinks delivered superior performance, concentration and reaction benefits that weren't adequately supported.

Careathers said he had regularly consumed Red Bull since 2002.

The lawsuit wasn't literally about expecting wings to grow from his body. Instead, it challenged the broader performance claims behind the famous slogan and Red Bull's marketing.

Rather than continue fighting the class actions, Red Bull agreed in 2014 to settle for up to $13 million, while denying any wrongdoing.

Eligible U.S. customers who had purchased Red Bull during the covered period could submit claims without providing receipts.

They were offered either $10 in cash or approximately $15 worth of Red Bull products, subject to the settlement's terms and available fund.

So Careathers didn't personally walk away with $13 million.

One customer's challenge to Red Bull's marketing ultimately became a multimillion-dollar class settlement affecting consumers across America.

Source

Reuters; Associated Press; U.S. District Court records for the Southern District of New York; Careathers v. Red Bull North America, Inc.

Disclaimer

The viral claim that one man “won $13 million because Red Bull didn't give him wings” is an oversimplification. The lawsuit challenged allegedly misleading performance and advertising claims rather than literal wings, and $13 million was the class-action settlement fund, not Careathers' personal payout. Red Bull denied wrongdoing.

The internet loved the idea of a fake museum guide confidently teaching visitors completely invented history.There was j...
07/09/2026

The internet loved the idea of a fake museum guide confidently teaching visitors completely invented history.

There was just one problem: the guide himself was invented too.

The viral story claimed a 34-year-old man named Ethan Caldwell had spent three weekends impersonating a tour guide at a Boston museum.

According to the story, he simply bought a lanyard, dressed the part and began leading unsuspecting visitors around whenever legitimate guides were busy.

Then came the ridiculous “history.”

A 17th-century portrait supposedly became the world's first selfie. One painting commemorated a fictional squirrel uprising. Another featured the supposed inventors of brunch.

Eventually, museum employees supposedly became suspicious when visitors started asking about historical events that had never happened.

It was funny enough to spread everywhere—and believable enough that many people treated it as genuine news.

But the original post came from The Dude Humor Report, an account that explicitly describes its stories as satire and parody. No credible reports document Caldwell's arrest, and fact-checkers found that versions of the viral post even used different images for the supposed suspect.

The funniest twist wasn't that a fake guide invented fake history for 3 weekends. It was that the internet believed a fake story about him doing it.

Source

Lead Stories; Artnet News; original satire from The Dude Humor Report.

Disclaimer

This story is satire, not a real arrest. The original account labeled its material as fictional entertainment, and searches found no credible reporting that an Ethan Caldwell was arrested for impersonating a museum guide. The mugshot used in the original viral version was also assessed as likely AI-generated.

Katrina Bookman thought 40 cents had just changed her life forever.In August 2016, the single mother of four was playing...
07/09/2026

Katrina Bookman thought 40 cents had just changed her life forever.

In August 2016, the single mother of four was playing a penny slot machine at Resorts World Casino in Queens when the screen suddenly displayed $42,949,672.76.

She even posed for a selfie beside the enormous number.

But when Bookman returned to collect, the casino told her she hadn't won $43 million. Officials said the machine had malfunctioned and that her legitimate payout was only $2.25.

The casino offered her that amount along with a complimentary steak dinner.

Bookman wasn't satisfied.

Her attorney argued that she should receive at least the machine's advertised maximum jackpot of $6,500, and she later sued over the disputed $43 million display.

The New York State Gaming Commission backed the casino's position. The machine had malfunctioned, and its rules stated that malfunctions void payouts. Officials said the casino couldn't legally award her the $6,500 maximum either.

For a few unforgettable moments, Bookman believed 40 cents had turned into $43 million. Instead, she walked away from one of America's most infamous slot-machine disputes.

Source

ABC7 New York; Associated Press; TIME; CBS News; New York State Gaming Commission.

Disclaimer

The displayed $42.95 million was not a valid jackpot. Regulators determined that the machine had malfunctioned, and its maximum legitimate payout was $6,500. The $2.25 was Bookman's actual recognized win, while the steak dinner was offered separately by the casino.

Julie DeVuono was a pediatric nurse practitioner trusted to administer vaccines.Instead, authorities said she turned f@k...
07/09/2026

Julie DeVuono was a pediatric nurse practitioner trusted to administer vaccines.

Instead, authorities said she turned f@ke v@ccination records into a business generating more than $1.5 million.

DeVuono operated Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare on Long Island. During the pandemic, prosecutors said her practice sold fra*dulent C*VID-19 vaccination cards while entering false vaccination information into New York’s official database.

Authorities said adults were charged hundreds of dollars for fraudulent records, while children were charged lower amounts. When investigators searched DeVuono’s home, they found roughly $900,000 in cash.

DeVuono eventually pleaded guilty to charges including forgery and money laundering. Her criminal case required her to surrender her nursing licenses and forfeit more than $1.2 million in proceeds. She was also sentenced to five years of probation.

Then another penalty arrived.

In July 2026, New York health officials imposed a record $544,000 civil penalty after finding that DeVuono had also submitted fraudulent vaccination records for 162 children. It was the largest vaccination-fraud penalty in the department’s 125-year history.

Source

New York State Department of Health; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; The Washington Post; CBS New York.

Disclaimer

The viral image combines two related but distinct matters. The roughly $1.5 million figure concerned proceeds documented during the COVID-19 vaccination-card investigation, while the later $544,000 civil penalty was imposed for fraudulent vaccination records involving 162 children and multiple vaccines. The $544,000 was additional to more than $1.2 million already forfeited in the criminal case.

José Nuñez Romaniz went to an ATM to deposit money so he could buy his grandfather some socks.Instead, the 19-year-old f...
07/09/2026

José Nuñez Romaniz went to an ATM to deposit money so he could buy his grandfather some socks.

Instead, the 19-year-old found a bag containing $135,000 sitting beside the machine.

It happened in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in May 2020. The Wells Fargo branch was closed, and Nuñez quickly realized the clear plastic bag contained an enormous amount of cash.

Rather than take it, he contacted authorities.

Police arrived, collected the bag and counted $135,000 inside. Investigators later determined that a subcontractor responsible for replenishing the ATM had accidentally left the money behind.

Nuñez was studying criminal justice and hoped to eventually become a detective or crime-scene investigator.

His decision caught the attention of Albuquerque's police chief and mayor, who publicly recognized him. The police department even encouraged him to apply for a public-safety position while continuing his studies.

And the viral $500 reward wasn't the whole story.

PNM gave him $500 toward his education, while other local businesses also gave him money and gifts. Reports indicate he ultimately received multiple $500 rewards, along with restaurant credit, football tickets and signed memorabilia.

He could have disappeared with $135,000. Instead, returning it opened a completely different door.

Source

Albuquerque Police Department; CNN; CBS News; KOAT 7.

Disclaimer

The viral image simplifies the reward as $500. Contemporary reports show Nuñez received several separate rewards: at least three local organizations reportedly gave him $500 each, alongside other gifts and recognition. The $135,000 had been accidentally left near the ATM by a Wells Fargo subcontractor.

For most retirees, 51 cruises sounds like an extravagant vacation.For one elderly couple, it reportedly became their alt...
07/09/2026

For most retirees, 51 cruises sounds like an extravagant vacation.

For one elderly couple, it reportedly became their alternative to paying for a retirement home.

Australian couple Marty and Jess Ansen attracted worldwide attention after booking dozens of consecutive voyages aboard Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess.

They boarded in June 2022 and remained at sea for more than 500 days, completing 51 consecutive cruises as the ship repeatedly sailed different itineraries.

Their reasoning was surprisingly practical.

The Ansens said cruising could cost them less than moving into a retirement home, while giving them meals, housekeeping, entertainment and constantly changing destinations as part of the package.

Life aboard also developed its own routine.

They reportedly started their mornings with table tennis, enjoyed buffet meals and became so familiar to the ship’s crew that staff joked the couple had been aboard longer than some employees.

They weren’t complete newcomers to cruising either. The pair had reportedly taken dozens of cruises before deciding to turn the experience into a much longer lifestyle.

For them, retirement wasn’t about settling into one permanent facility.

They compared the costs, booked 51 cruises back-to-back and spent more than 500 days turning a cruise ship into their retirement home.

Source

A Current Affair / 9News Australia; Princess Cruises; CNN Travel; New York Post coverage of Marty and Jess Ansen.

Disclaimer

The couple publicly said their cruise lifestyle was cheaper than entering a retirement home, but detailed financial records comparing their cruise fares with specific residential-care costs were not released. Cruise prices and retirement-home costs vary significantly depending on location, cabin, care needs and other expenses.

Rick Ross was quoted $10,000 to remove 10 trees from his massive Georgia estate.Instead of paying the contractor, he dec...
07/09/2026

Rick Ross was quoted $10,000 to remove 10 trees from his massive Georgia estate.

Instead of paying the contractor, he decided to turn the job into his own operation.

Ross explained on social media that he went to Home Depot and bought two heavy-duty saws for roughly $2,000.

Then came the labor.

Rather than sending another $5,000 outside his circle, Ross said he could give that money to his own team and have them help tackle the trees alongside him.

His calculation was simple: $2,000 for equipment, $5,000 for his crew and roughly $3,000 left over from what he would have paid the contractor.

But there was another benefit.

The $2,000 bought equipment he could keep and use again.

It fits a pattern Ross has talked about before. After buying former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield's enormous Georgia estate, he learned how expensive maintaining such a property could become.

So he began doing more himself—including famously mowing the huge lawn on a tractor rather than paying for an expensive landscaping operation.

Ross didn't just save $3,000. He paid his own people, kept the equipment and turned a $10,000 expense into something he could reuse.

Source

Rick Ross via Instagram; Forbes; Business Insider; Complex; Revolt.

Disclaimer

The $10,000 quote, $2,000 equipment cost and $5,000 labor calculation come from Rick Ross's own account of the project. Exact contractor quotes, receipts and final expenses have not been independently documented, and professional tree removal can involve specialized safety, insurance and equipment requirements beyond simply cutting trees.

Zack Nelson built an enormous audience on YouTube as JerryRigEverything.Then his wife’s experience with a wheelchair sho...
07/09/2026

Zack Nelson built an enormous audience on YouTube as JerryRigEverything.

Then his wife’s experience with a wheelchair showed him a problem he couldn’t fix with another tech video.

His wife, Cambry, uses a wheelchair after an accident left her paralyzed. Together, they began experimenting with ways to make outdoor adventures more accessible, eventually creating Not a Wheelchair.

The company first became known for rugged off-road mobility equipment. But Nelson later turned his attention to something even more fundamental: everyday wheelchairs.

Traditional customized wheelchairs can cost thousands of dollars and sometimes involve long waits, insurance approvals and multiple middlemen.

Not a Wheelchair decided to approach the business differently.

Its Paradox wheelchair starts at roughly $999, with customization available through a direct-to-consumer model. The company manufactures chairs at its own Utah facility and says this approach allows it to deliver them considerably faster than many traditional channels.

There’s another unusual part of the business.

Nelson has said revenue from his massive YouTube platform helped pay for factory equipment, allowing the company to keep wheelchair prices lower rather than requiring those machines to immediately generate their own return.

He built millions of followers testing technology. Then he used that audience to build something his own wife—and thousands of others—could actually use.

Source

Not a Wheelchair; JerryRigEverything; company interviews and manufacturing videos documenting the Paradox wheelchair and Utah production facility.

Disclaimer

The $999 figure is the starting price for the Paradox and can increase with customization. Claims that the company is 50–80% cheaper or faster depend on which wheelchair, insurance arrangement and supplier it is compared with; wheelchair prices and delivery times vary substantially.

Mia McGrath is 24 years old and already has nearly $97,000 saved.Her goal is much bigger: build roughly $1.3 million and...
06/09/2026

Mia McGrath is 24 years old and already has nearly $97,000 saved.

Her goal is much bigger: build roughly $1.3 million and have the freedom to retire by 40.

McGrath follows the principles of FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — and has structured much of her current lifestyle around saving and investing as aggressively as possible.

That means keeping everyday expenses unusually low.

She lives rent-free with her parents, cooks most of her meals at home and has shared examples of extremely cheap breakfasts, including eggs and bread costing around 50p.

She reportedly saves between 50% and 70% of her income and invests roughly £1,500 each month toward her long-term goal.

But “retiring” at 40 doesn't necessarily mean McGrath plans to stop working forever.

Her idea is to reach a point where investment income and accumulated wealth give her the choice to work rather than needing every paycheck. She has described the goal as more of a “soft retirement.”

Her progress is impressive, but it also comes with an important advantage: living with her parents eliminates what is normally a young adult’s biggest monthly expense.

For McGrath, sacrificing some independence at 24 is the trade-off for potentially buying financial freedom at 40.

Source

The Sun; Daily Mail; New York Post; media interviews and social-media posts from Mia McGrath discussing her FIRE strategy.

Disclaimer

Savings figures reported for McGrath have varied as her portfolio has grown, with earlier reports placing her savings around £70,000–£75,000 and later coverage approaching £100,000. Her approximately $1.3 million (£1 million+) goal is a personal target, not a guaranteed amount needed for retirement. Investment returns, inflation, expenses and future living arrangements could significantly affect whether she reaches it.

James Verone walked into a North Carolina bank and demanded exactly $1.He wasn’t trying to get rich. He was trying to ge...
06/09/2026

James Verone walked into a North Carolina bank and demanded exactly $1.

He wasn’t trying to get rich. He was trying to get arrested.

In 2011, the 59-year-old had been struggling after losing the job he had held for 17 years as a Coca-Cola delivery driver.

His savings were running out, he had no health insurance, and he said he was dealing with several medical problems, including back issues, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Unable to afford the care he believed he needed, Verone came up with an extraordinary plan.

He entered an RBC Bank in Gastonia, handed a teller a note demanding $1, took the money and then calmly sat down to wait for police.

Before doing it, he even contacted a local newspaper and explained his reasoning, describing himself as being “of sound mind but of unsound body.”

His plan worked—at least partly.

Verone was arrested and received medical attention while incarcerated. His deliberately tiny demand also meant the case was treated less severely than a conventional bank robbery.

His story spread nationally because the motive was so unusual.

He didn't walk into the bank hoping to leave with a fortune. He walked in hoping to leave in handcuffs—and finally see a doctor.

Source

Reuters; Gaston Gazette; ABC News; Associated Press reporting on James Verone’s 2011 case.

Disclaimer

Contemporary reporting confirms Verone deliberately demanded $1 because he wanted incarceration and access to medical care. Some later viral accounts differ on the exact treatment he ultimately received and the details of his sentence, so those claims should not be treated as uniformly established.

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