Rugby star Israel Folau wants $3million, gangland widow Robert Williams is demanding $50,000 and a heavily-tattooed Instagram-famous couple are just after enough to cover the cost of their holiday.
For these high-profile figures and thousands of other GoFundMe users, the idea of saving up your pennies is too old fashioned.
It seems the modern way to get yourself out of a sticky financial situation is simply to ask the public for help, no matter the request.
Leading Australian psychologist Grant Brecht says there are two main reasons people are turning to GoFundMe when they are in desperate need of a dollar.
Rugby star Israel Folau (pictured with wife Maria Tuta’ia) has asked for $3 million to fund his court battle with Rugby Australia just a month after his lucrative contract was torn up
Leading Australian psychologist Grant Brecht (pictured) said some people just don’t want to spend their own money
‘One reason is obviously that they don’t have to spend their own money,’ Dr Brecht told Daily Mail Australia.
‘They can spend their own money on things they want to do and some of them have fairly demanding lifestyles, so to fund something like that can detract from this.
‘The other reason is to muster up social support.
‘In the old days you’d have a petition and I think a lot of people think if this goes to court, then the judge or magistrate is going to see that I have a lot of community support behind me.
‘I’m sure Israel Folau thinks he’s up against a big governing body in Rugby Australia and their supporters like Qantas, but it’s more than just the money… It’s more about saying look at all the support that’s out there for me.’
Dr Brecht said the Australian public was also increasingly generous over recent years, despite younger generations being labelled ‘selfish’.
Whether the cause is a sick child or a desperate sports star, those seeking help on crowdfunding websites often find plenty of people willing to support them.
‘Quite a few people just like to help others out, they see an opportunity and it makes them feel good, and they think: “I’m a nice person because I’m doing this”,’ Dr Brecht said.
‘For others there’s this whole idea of karma, that if I do something good something good will come back to me.
‘Australia is a huge giving nation and despite the younger generations being seen as selfish, it seems that is increasing rather than decreasing and overall that is positive for society.’
Below, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at some of the big names who have turned to crowdfunding in their time of need.
Folay (pictured) told Sydney radio shock jock Alan Jones that he needed the money so that he could ‘stand up for the word of God’
Folau, 30, had his lucrative contract torn up by the sport’s governing body in May in response to comments (pictured) he made online about homosexual people being destined for hell
Israel Folau: sacked Wallabies star – $3million
Sacked Wallabies star Folau launched the online funding campaign on Thursday and wants supporters to chip in for $3million to fund his legal fight with Rugby Australia.
Folau, 30, had his lucrative contract torn up by the sport’s governing body in May in response to comments he made about homosexual people being destined for hell.
A devout Christian, Folau told Sydney radio shock jock Alan Jones – one of his fiercest supporters in recent months – his aim is to ‘stand up for the word of God’.
However his bid for public money divided opinions, with many claiming that as one of the country’s top paid sportsmen he should be able to afford it himself.
But he’s not the only high-profile GoFundMe page to cause a stir in recent weeks.
Instagram model Elena Engelhardt and her heavily-tattooed husband Catalin Onc are begging for money to fund their luxurious lifestyle – even though his mother works two jobs to support their travels
The couple said they needed to raise £8,866 in order to pay for the bikes that they plan to ride from Germany to Africa ‘and beyond’ as well as supplies for the trip
Catalin Onc & Elena Engelhardt, Instagram stars – $16k
But while the gangland personality at least pledged supporters something in return, the same can not be said for Instagram couple Catalin Onc and Elena Engelhardt.
The German lovers came under fire earlier this week after asking for $AUD16,000 so they could fund their cycling holiday to Africa.
‘It has now come to the point again where we must ask for money in order to continue doing what we do,’ Catalin wrote on their GoFundMe post.
But their request did not go down well with fans who slammed it as ‘ridiculous’, with the pair eventually being forced to take down their Instagram this week.
So far the pair have received just under AUD$1,200 – well short of their target.
Roberta Williams, gangland widow and TV star -$50k
On Thursday, Melbourne gangland widow Roberta Williams asked for $50,000 in donations to fund a new reality TV show about her and her children.
In an effort to attract money Roberta has offered donors a personal phone call to any donation of $500 or more.
Producers for Melbourne gangland widow Roberta Williams asked for $50,000 in donations to fund a new reality TV show about her and her children (pictured)
The potential TV show will feature Williams’ daughters, including instagram star Dhakota (left)
Dan Single, Australian fashion designer – $250k
Another figure to come under fire for asking for GoFundMe was fashion designer and one-time BRW Young Rich Lister, Dan Single.
Single and his former partner, model Bambi Northwood-Blyth, were renowned in Sydney’s party scene for their lavish lifestyle.
But after the Ksubi founder fell 35 metres out of his Paris hotel window and shattered every bone from his waist down in 2017, Single tried to crowdfund $250,000 in his medical costs.
Single deleted his crowdfunding effort just days later, having raised less than $500 and being the target of many scathing posts.
‘How come you can fund partying, drinking and overseas trips but not your own recovery?’ one anonymous donor wrote.
‘I’ll give you $5 with the sole intent of telling you what an idiot everyone thinks you are.’
Fashion designer and one-time BRW young rich list member Dan Single (pictured with former girlfriend Bambi Northwood-Blyth) asked for $250,000 after falling out of the window of his Paris hotel room in 2017
Single (pictured) removed his crowdfunding effort days after first posting it, having raised less than $500 and being the target of many scathing posts
Former Bra Boy Koby Abberton (right) asked for $20,000 after the Bali home he was renting partially burnt down
Koby Abberton, Bra Boy and big wave surfer – $20k
Former Bra Boy Koby Abberton also turned to crowdfunding following an overseas mishap last year, when his Bali beachside rental home partially burnt down.
Despite admitting to being at fault for the fire Abberton asked the public for $20,000 to help rebuild the home.
He was criticised for not digging into his own pocket to fix the home, but the Bra Boy defended his actions.
‘You don’t burn someone’s villa down and run to the airport but judging some of your comments that’s what you would rather me do,’ Abberton wrote.
Abberton was criticised for not digging into his own pocket to fix the home, but the Bra Boy defended his actions
‘You don’t burn someone’s villa down (pictured) and run to the airport but judging some of your comments that’s what you would rather me do,’ Abberton wrote
Margarita Tomovska (pictured), better known as ‘Mercedes Mum’, asked the public for support last month after claiming she had been targeted by NSW Police
After almost three weeks Tomovska is nowhere near her $100,000 goal, with only $1,200 being given to her cause – $1,000 of which came from one person
Margarita Tomovska, aka ‘Mercedes Mum’ – $100k
Having first made headlines for allegedly leading police on a 10 kilometre high speed car chase, Margarita Tomovska – better known as ‘Mercedes Mum’ – asked the public for support last month.
The 27-year-old – who allegedly reached speeds of up to 200km/h in her $260,000 luxury car during the police chase – turned to GoFundMe claiming she could not find work and was ‘actually not a bad person’.
Tomovska took particular aim at NSW Police anti-bikie Strike Force Raptor, claiming they had ‘something against her’.
‘I created this GoFundMe to raise some support against the bulls**t they have done to me and everyone else… it’s about time we fight back!’ she wrote.
But after almost three weeks Tomovska is nowhere near her $100,000 goal, with only $1,200 being given to her cause – $1,000 of which came from one person.