Delivery Driver Pays It Forward after Receiving over $50k Donation from Viral Video — See His Story

After making an emotional plea to the public regarding the tipping of delivery drivers, the Seattle native raised more than $50k in donations. Now, his efforts will benefit others in need.

Riley Elliot, a Las Vegas delivery driver, has gone viral for sharing an emotional video on TikTok about the financial hardships of making ends meet with low tips and minimal wages.

In response to the video being viewed and spreading across social media platforms, Elliot began receiving donations, enabling him to now help others in need.

Riley Elliott now lives in Las Vegas after eschewing the high rent in Seattle. He became homeless twice during the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled to earn a living as an Uber Eats delivery driver.

Elliott began delivering food again for UBER in Las Vegas shortly after his fiancée lost her job. As a last-ditch effort, he delivered $5 worth of food to a business in hopes of getting a tip.

Elliott said it cost him $3 in parking fines, took him 45 minutes to complete the order, and his frustration was heightened when he only received $1.50 in a tip.

Elliott said the tip didn't cover parking fees and that the money UBER paid him did not cover gas, time, and other expenses. At the time of the order, he had rejected several lowball offers for an hour.

A total of $50,000 was given to him and $15,000 he gave to others in need, he said.

Elliott decided to make a Tik Tok video about his experience and how he feared he would become homeless again. The video caught the Seattle Sounders' attention, who donated generously.

Elliot hadn't even realized the video had garnered 3.7 million views on Twitter. A total of $50,000 was given to him and $15,000 he gave to others in need, he said.

In an interview with TODAY, Elliot said the amount is good enough to avoid looking for apartments; instead, he and his fiancee, Renni, are looking for permanent housing.

Elliot also explained that he and Renni have been handing out money, too, to the point that he hit his limit of money he could transfer with Cash App and Venmo apps.

Presently, he's promoting GoFundMe campaigns. Some of the projects he's promoted include a modified bicycle for a child with special needs and donations to indigents.

Additionally, Elliot and his fiancé spent $500 buying blankets and food to serve homeless people and established a GoFundMe set-up specifically for serving delivery drivers.