“The Big Bang Theory” star Kunal Nayyar earned a lot of money while starring on the CBS sitcom, and he likes giving it away.
“Money has given me greater freedom and the greatest gift is the ability to give back, to change people’s lives,” Nayyar, who played Raj Koothrappali on “The Big Bang Theory,” said during a December 2025 interview with The i Paper that’s gone viral on social media.
“What I really love to do is go on GoFundMe at night and just pay random families’ medical bills. That’s my masked vigilante thing!” Nayyar continued.
The actor observed that many people “are not happy” because they are “expecting someone else” to be the kindness they wish to see in the world.
“We are expecting a president or a politician, some leader, to come and bring us world peace,” he said. “But there is no world peace if your neighbor comes to your door wanting some sugar for their tea, and you lock it against them and say ‘get away.’ … No one is going to come and change the world for you. You have to do it for yourself.”
Nayyar starred on all 12 seasons of “The Big Bang Theory,” which aired from 2007 to 2019. At the height of the show’s success, cast members were reportedly earning $1 million per episode. In 2015, Forbes ranked Nayyar the third-highest paid actor in the world with annual earnings of $20 million. Fortune recently reported that Nayyar has a net worth of $45 million.
Nayyar told The iPaper that his fortune does not “weigh heavy” on him, because he sees it as an opportunity to help others. In addition to his random GoFundMe donations, Nayyar and his wife, Neha Kapur, fund university scholarships for disadvantaged students and support animal charities.
“Money doesn’t feel like a burden. It feels like a grace from the universe,” Nayyar said.
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After the interview went viral, fans praised Nayyar.
“He is someone using his freedom to buy back the peace of mind of people he will never even meet. That is real flowers territory,” one X user wrote.
“Kunal Nayyar quietly being a real-life superhero … love seeing someone use their success to make such a direct, meaningful impact. That masked vigilante energy is everything,” another person tweeted.
Others noted that the need for Nayyar’s generosity points to problems with the American healthcare system.
“Nayyar’s anonymous medical bill payments are genuinely helpful individual charity but also highlight systemic healthcare failure. The fact that families need GoFundMe for medical bills in wealthy nation is indictment of system, not feel-good story,” one X user wrote. “His generosity is real and admirable but individual charity can’t replace universal healthcare.”
Another argued: “Nothing but good will for Nayyar and his generosity, but this feel-good story is actually an abominable tragedy if people in the richest country in world history have to hit the benevolent celebrity jackpot to afford healthcare.”
“The Big Bang Theory” is available to stream on HBO Max.