Celebrity Venmo Accounts: Helping Hands and Security Concerns

Many celebrities use Venmo to help fans in need, like when Justin Bieber paid a fan's rent after she lost her job.

Some celebrities, like Taylor Swift, have been known to send surprise gifts to their fans through Venmo.

However, celebrities' Venmo accounts are also vulnerable to security concerns, such as when a hacker gained access to Lady Gaga's account in 2019.

This highlights the importance of keeping Venmo accounts secure, especially for public figures who may be targeted by hackers.

Venmo trolling can be a wild ride, as Austin Mitchell discovered when his account was flooded with requests after he changed his handle to @BetsyDeVos.

Mitchell's account received over 500 requests in a single day, with some people asking for as much as $500,000 in tuition payments.

The requests were so overwhelming that Mitchell shut down his account later that night, but not before compiling the requests and posting them on a Tumblr page.

Venmo's fraud detection system wouldn't let Mitchell open a new account under his original name because his debit card information was stored on @BetsyDeVos.

This is a good reminder to be cautious when using a celebrity name on Venmo, as you never know what might happen.

Being a celebrity on Venmo can also be a blessing in disguise, as the owners of @GuyFieri and @MileyCyrus seem to have a pretty normal experience.

However, not everyone is immune to trolling, and even using a celebrity name like John Legend's can lead to some awkward moments, like sending a nickel to an unsuspecting friend for "being a friend".

Some celebrity Venmo accounts are used for fun, like Lin Zhang's @MileyCyrus handle, which she's had since she couldn't get @KanyeWest or @KimKardashian.

You might be surprised to know that some people have to explain to others that their Venmo handle isn't a joke, like Zhang does when she meets new people. Others use their Venmo handle as a way to make friends, like Juno Suzuki, who signed up as @GuyFieri.

Flavor Flav, a founding member of Public Enemy, even used Venmo to help Olympian Veronica Fraley pay her rent, sending her $7,760 after seeing her post about struggling to pay her bills.

Many Olympians are struggling to make ends meet, with only 5% earning huge financial rewards from competing. Roughly 600 athletes are in Paris this summer representing Team USA.

Kaleigh Gilchrist, a three-time member of the women's Olympic water polo team, estimated that most Olympians are living paycheck by paycheck. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee awards athletes with $2.5 million annually in scholarships and grants to pay for their education, travel, medical, and training expenses.

American Olympians receive payments of $15,000 to $37,500 for each medal they win, but most don't earn any money for competing in their sport. To make ends meet, Olympians and their families are increasingly turning to social media and crowdfunding campaigns asking for direct financial help.

Rapper Flavor Flav and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian are high-profile donors using Venmo to help Olympians in need. Flavor Flav even signed a five-year sponsorship deal for the men's and women's national teams, making him the "official hype man" for USA Water Polo.

Veronica Fraley, an American track-and-field star, proudly announced on X that she "paid my rent this morning" after Ohanian sent her $7,760 on Venmo. This is a great example of how Venmo can be used to make a real difference in people's lives.

Richard Kind's Venmo History is a treasure trove of wholesome transactions. He paid someone for "Party" in April, which is a pretty vague transaction, but it sounds like a fun night out.

The actor's love for cigars is well-documented, with a payment for "Swisher Sweets" in September 2020. It's interesting to see how celebrities spend their money, and Richard Kind's purchases are no exception.

A recurring "Fruit" payment has several commenters identifying it as a popular street-side produce vendor on the Upper West Side. This suggests that Richard Kind is a regular there, and he even got a little crazy and purchased "Lettuce" too in October.

His Venmo profile also shows payments for more routine hobbies, such as "Golf" and "Painting". It's not surprising to see an actor with a interest in the arts.

Many Olympians are struggling to make ends meet, with some even turning to social media and crowdfunding campaigns to ask for direct financial help. This is because most Olympians don't earn any money for competing in their sport.

Kaleigh Gilchrist, a three-time member of the women's Olympic water polo team, estimated that only 5% of Olympians reap huge financial rewards from competing at the highest level. The rest are living paycheck by paycheck.

Veronica Fraley, an American track-and-field star, was able to pay her rent thanks to a $7,760 donation from Alexis Ohanian on Venmo. She had posted about struggling to pay her rent just the day before.

Flavor Flav, a founding member of Public Enemy, has been helping out Olympians in need by offering sponsorship deals and direct financial help. He even signed a five-year sponsorship deal with USA Water Polo to support the men's and women's national teams.