Or least his people did.
Rapper Ludacris, whose real name is Christopher Brian Bridges, made 20 families who needed a hand up pretty happy this week. He partnered with Nissan South, a car dealership in Atlanta, to give away 20 cars to folks in need as part of his own stimulus package.
The giveaway worked like this: to qualify for the free cars, contestants submitted an essay to Ludacris’ Foundation. Applicants were asked to write a one page essay on why they feel they deserve the car. To qualify, applicants had to be at least 18 years old, have a valid GA drivers license and not currently own a car.
Roberta Shields, President of The Ludacris Foundation, explained: “This year we want to do something to help youth and families manage during these tough economic times. Having a vehicle to get back and forth to work and daycare can make the difference in getting and keeping a job.”
More than 4000 folks vied for the used vehicles, which also included free gas for 30 days. The winners were responsible for the rest: tags, registration, insurance and – yes – taxes. After the winners of Oprah’s car giveaway learned the hard way, Ludacris made it clear on his website that winners were responsible for paying any applicable taxes.
The winners of the cars were visibly moved. Crystal Beauford, a single mom and college student, used to ride two buses to get to work. Now the proud owner of a used Saturn Ion, she said, “This is going to help me out so much,” she said. “It’s a blessing.”
What happend with Oprah’s giveaway?
She gave away a bunch of free cars but forgot to advise the recipients that the giveaway would result in tax to them: http://www.taxgirl.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch/