Massive tips have been left on various restaurant bills all in the name of "Tips for Jesus." INSIDE EDITION finds out what is this phenomenon sweeping the country during the holiday season.
It's the mystery sweeping the nation. Who has been leaving enormous tips for these happy waiters and waitresses all across the country just in time for the holidays?
There has been a $1,000 tip on a $100 meal. There has been a $5,000 tip on a bill totaling just $84! There has also been a whopping $13,000 tip on a $158 meal.
Andrew Thomas is a waiter at The Smith restaurant near New York City’s Lincoln Center. He got a $3,500 tip last weekend after two guys spent $301 on drinks and dinner.
Thomas told INSIDE EDITION’s Les Trent, “I was shocked.”
Trent asked, “Ever got a tip that big before?”
“No, not even close,” said Thomas.
Watch More of our Interview with Thomas
One of them handed him a receipt with "Tips for Jesus" written on the bottom.
Thomas said, “He said, "I’m going to leave you a lot of money." Then, when I went back to run his card and I mentioned it to another server and she said, ‘Oh, this is that thing!’ And my heart started racing.”
So, who is the person behind this tipping phenomenon? INSIDE EDITION is on the case.
One clue is the Facebook page, "Tips for Jesus" which features a picture of a winking Jesus. On the page are photos of all the lucky restaurant servers who've been given huge tips, along with the receipts themselves.
The big-hearted person who's been handing out the lavish tips keeps his name kept secret.
The manager of The Smith, Nicholas Azera, had a chance to talk to him.
Azera said, The gentleman was very kind and warm, and explains this is something that he does. He wants to enhance and enrich people's lives."
It wasn't the only big tip the mystery tipper left this past weekend. At Bo's Kitchen in New York City’s Flatiron district, a server was given a $1,000 dollar tip.
INSIDE EDITION spoke to the restaurant manager, Benjamin Cramer. He said, “The gentleman said he was going to make his night and lo and behold, when he opened the bill and saw the $1,000 tip he didn't believe it at first. We've never seen anything like that.”
The generous tipper has left over $54,000 in tips in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, and South Bend, Indiana.
So, just who is the mystery tipper?
Speculation has centered around Jack Selby, a former internet executive who made a fortune when the website PayPal was sold.
INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent was able to get the mystery tipper's phone number off a receipt. He denied being Jack Selby, but did agree to exchange emails with Trent.
In one email, Trent asked, "Do you expect to keep up this generosity?"
"Absolutely! God Bless," responded the mystery tipper.
