‘You Lost… Why Not Give Them Money?’: CNN’s John Berman Hits Raising Cane’s CEO for Buying Employees Another 50K in Lotto Tickets
CNN’s John Berman asked the CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers why he did not just pay his employees money after he bought them each losing lottery tickets earlier this week.
A.J. Kumaran made headlines this week after he spent $100,000 on 50,000 Mega Millions lotto tickets he said were for his employees.
The fried chicken CEO told Fox & Friends he wanted to share the then-$830 million payout with his employees if the company bought a winning ticket.
“We’ve always believed in staying together as a family, taking care of each other, everything, right?” Kumaran said. “Things are hard out there, you know. People are seeing it on their grocery shelves and their gas stations.”
None of Kumaran’s 50,000 tickets won the $830 million Tuesday night. Neither did anyone else’s and so now Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is worth more than $1 billion.
Raising Cane’s is raising the stakes by buying another 50,000 tickets for another shot at the prize.
Kumaran joined CNN’s New Day Wednesday morning to discuss a second run at winning the lottery. Berman, meanwhile, had a question about the first attempt.
Kumaran noted Wednesday was “national chicken finger day,” and added, “Today is our holiday, so we are in celebration mode already.”
“Nobody won [Tuesday’s drawing] and we think it is going to be us,” he added. “We’re going to do it all over again. At least we have a head start. It takes about eight hours to print those tickets, so we’re going to get a head start today and get them printed.”
Berman responded:
First of all, every day is national chicken finger day as far as I’m concerned, alright, so let’s just enjoy that. But second, You lost. Let’s lay it out there. You lost. You spent $100,000 on tickets and you lost and you’re going to do it again? Why not give the money, give $200,000 to your employees?
Kumaran said his company has given its 50,000 employees more than $200 million in raises over the last two years.
“This is about, like, having fun,” Kumaran added, before he noted that $100,000 spread evenly between 50,000 people won’t make a difference in anyone’s life.
Watch above, via CNN.
