146
Matt Busbis and his partners have built and sold several companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But the 42-year-old owner of a sporting goods store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says he's never felt richer than the day he got a dollar from a kid.
"I haven't had such faith in humanity for a long time," Busbis says.
He said that everything happened about a month ago. Early in the morning, the fire alarm went off in his apartment complex. Matt jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, only to find that there was no fire. So, despite the fact that he was dressed out of season and disheveled, the businessman decided to go outside to drink a cup of coffee.
When he was about to enter the cafe, he remembered that he had not prayed. So Busbys retreated to a corner of the patio to pray, according to surveillance footage. When he opened his eyes, he saw a boy walking towards him. The kid clenched his fist, so Matt braced himself for a confrontation. But instead, the boy clenched his fist and showed a $1 bill.
"If you're homeless, here's a dollar," he recalled the words of 9-year-old Calvin Ellis. "I always wanted to help the homeless, and finally I had such an opportunity."
Ellis said he got a dollar for good grades. It was the only money he had. Busbys was so moved that he invited Ellis to a bite to eat, then contacted his father, who lived next door, and promised to keep in touch.
As a reward for his kindness, Busbys gave Ellis a shopping spree - 40 seconds to choose anything he wanted from his shop, including a new bicycle. Ellis says it was great, but definitely not what he wanted for his dollar.
"Joy because I helped someone," Ellis said. "When you give something, you feel that you got a lot from it."
"If you give, you actually get more," Busbis said. "I could not understand this as a child. And if we can spread that around, everything changes."
