AARON Murphy, also known as Murphslife, has achieved viral success for his videos helping poor families.
But who is the fundraiser and TikToker and how did he start his charity work?
Aaron Murphy was born on October 11, 1987.
He has struggled with mental health issues, and at one point was unable to drive his car due to anxiety.
The philanthropist leaned heavily on drinking, smoking and partying, and was in debt to his friends.
At 33 years old, he decided to conquer his fears by backpacking round South America, a decision that would later lead to Murphslife Foundation, Aaron’s NGO.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Aaron previously worked at YouTube for six years as an account manager.
He also co-owns a lifestyle marketing agency, with clients including Redbull and Pepsi.
Aaron states on his website that he’s placed his “trust in a higher power”.
He adds that serving others was not his “initial intention” but “was God’s plan all along”.
Aaron began his TikTok, Murphslife, in 2020 while travelling round South American – sharing videos of local life in developing countries.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he found himself stuck in a town in Ecuador with only $200.
Despite this lack of money, Aaron decided to help a family in need by buying them a hot dog stand and showing them how to make a profit.
The video gained attention on social media, making Aaron realise the power of social media for fundraising.
Funded by his viral success, he now posts regular videos doing similar good deeds for poor children and families.
In 2023, thanks to donations from followers, Aaron spent $250,000 reviving the street where he lived during his time stuck in Ecuador.
This involved building new homes for families previously living in dilapidated huts – including the grandmother who housed Aaron for eight months for free.
As well as one-off donations, Aaron focuses on giving poor families a source of profit for years to come.
So he gave the grandmother’s son a semi-truck, allowing him to go from $450 to $4000 in profit per month.
Aaron’s team also built an Airbnb on the street.
He said: “The cool thing is we’re on the border of Colombia so there’s a lot of traffic coming through here. There’s a lot of necessity for Airbnbs and hotels.
“We could probably charge about 80 bucks a night.
“So I think with this we can really get it booked and this is literally gonna get them out of poverty into a higher level.”
In another viral video, which fetched 8.4 million likes on TikTok, Aaron surprised Lorenzo, a street coconut seller in El Salvador, with a brand new home for him, his children and his grandchildren.
He also gifted the family a 100% paid-off truck business and a retirement fund for Lorenzo.
Aaron’s aim for Murphslife is to harness social media for the greater good, allowing individuals and communities from poor backgrounds to build a better future.
