A waiter who thought a massive tip left in the name of Jesus was a mistake is hoping for a miracle after throwing away the receipt.
Ron Kinney, a 67-year-old waiter at the French Quarter Restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif., says he was unaware of the "Tips for Jesus" diner who's been traveling the country leaving massive tips for unsuspecting waitstaff.
Kinney says he received the generous gratuity — either $4,000 or $7,000 — in December on a bill of no less than $50, but didn't recognize the signature on the credit card receipt and discarded it.
By the time Kinney and his co-workers realized what it was, the receipt was long gone.
“I was pretty naive,†Kinney told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I thought it was someone who had a drink too many and didn’t realize what they were doing.
"We see this all the time," he added. "People make mistakes.â€
Kinney contacted the newspaper, which has chronicled appearances of "Tips for Jesus" in California, in the hopes of a second coming.
“The money would sure have come in handy for me to help for retirement," Kinney said. "We have no such plan at work."
According to several reports, the "mystery" man behind “Tips for Jesus†is former PayPal Vice President Jack Selby.
In December, a New York City waiter who received a $1,000 tip on a $111 bill identified Selby.
"As I was about to drop the check off, one of the men said they would ‘make my night.’ They called me over, gave me the check," Aruj Dhawan, a waiter at Bo's Kitchen, told the New York Post. "I was amazed. ... I was just really thankful.â€
The week before, ValleyWag.com reported that Selby — who made millions on PayPal's sale to eBay — was likely behind the big tips.
