Here's Why Andrew Tate Wants to Donate to Nick Shirley After His Minnesota Welfare Fraud Exposé

Andrew Tate has thrown his support behind YouTuber Nick Shirley after the 23-year-old's investigation into alleged welfare fraud in Minnesota went absolutely viral. The controversial influencer posted a simple question on X that's got everyone talking: 'How do I donate to your journalism?'

Shirley's 42-minute video, which he posted on 26 December, has already racked up over 107 million views. In it, he claims to have uncovered more than £88 million (approximately $110 million) worth of fraud in just one day of investigating Minnesota's childcare assistance programmes. The video shows him turning up at various daycare centres that are supposed to be looking after dozens of kids, but appear to be completely empty.

High-Profile Supporters Rally

Tate isn't the only big name who's been impressed. According to Axios, Vice President JD Vance shared Shirley's video and said he's done 'far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 [Pulitzer] prizes'. Even FBI Director Kash Patel weighed in, announcing the bureau had already surged personnel and resources to Minnesota to investigate large-scale fraud schemes. Billionaire Elon Musk also got involved, sharing the video with a blunt message: 'Prosecute @GovTimWalz'.

The Misspelled 'Learing' Center

The centrepiece of Shirley's investigation is a place called the Quality 'Learing' Center. Yes, they've misspelt 'learning' on their sign. This centre is licensed for 99 children and allegedly received roughly £3.2 million ($4 million) in state funds. When Shirley turned up during business hours on a weekday, the place looked abandoned.

'This is a prime example of the billions of dollars in fraud happening right now in Minnesota', Shirley says in the video whilst standing outside the empty building. Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program provides subsidies to low-income families for childcare expenses. But Shirley's investigation suggests some facilities might be billing the government for services they're not actually providing.

Political Backlash Intensifies

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota, publicly called out Governor Tim Walz. '4 million dollars of hard earned tax dollars going to an education center that can't even spell learning correctly', Emmer wrote on X. 'Care to explain this one, @TimWalz?'

Walz's office has pushed back hard. A spokesperson told Fox News that the governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and has asked the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. Education Secretary Linda McMahon joined the criticism, writing: 'One fraudulent business in Minnesota that misspelled "learning" on its building received $1.9M this year while masquerading as a daycare. There are not enough words to describe the breathtaking failure that has happened under the watch of @GovTimWalz.'

Billions Potentially Stolen

First Assistant US Attorney Joe Thompson said earlier this month that up to £7.2 billion ($9 billion) or more in federal funds supporting 14 Minnesota-run programmes since 2018 may have been stolen. Much of the fraud appears connected to the Somali community in the Twin Cities, with Somali Americans making up 82 of the 92 defendants charged.

Shirley appeared on Fox News over the weekend and reckoned the fraud is 'so obvious' that 'a kindergartner could figure out that there is fraud going on'. He also suggested other journalists might be scared to investigate because they don't want to be called Islamophobic or racist.

Who is Nick Shirley?

According to Primetimer, Shirley has been making content for about a decade. He started his YouTube channel back in 2015 when he was just 16. These days, he has over a million followers on Instagram and more than 200 million views on his YouTube channel. His net worth is estimated to be around £400,000 ($500,000).

He's part of a new wave of content creators bypassing traditional media outlets and taking their cameras straight to the action. Shirley even participated in a White House roundtable earlier this year.

Tate's 'Anti-Establishment Bravado'

But why exactly does Andrew Tate want to donate to Shirley's work? Tate, who faces human trafficking and rape charges in both Romania and the United Kingdom, has built his brand around what Monash Lens describes as 'anti-establishment bravado'. The 38-year-old influencer and his brother, Tristan, were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and charged with forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women, though they deny all allegations.

His public offer to fund Shirley's grassroots investigation—which challenges government oversight failures—fits perfectly into the image he's trying to cultivate. Whether his donation offer is genuine or just another attempt to align himself with popular causes amongst his followers remains to be seen. Shirley hasn't publicly responded to Tate's proposal yet.