Eccentric Chinese tycoon Chen Guangbiao took out a full-page bilingual advertisement in the New York Times , inviting underprivileged Americans to a charity lunch and offering cash handouts . According to Chinese media reports , the ad appeared in the New York Times print edition on Monday , announcing that Chen would host a charity luncheon at New York Central Park 's Loeb Boathouse on June 25 for 1,000 `` poor and destitute Americans '' . Each participant would also receive $ 300 . Chen , who is known for theatrical philanthropic stunts , has a photo of himself in the ad placed side-by-side with a picture of Lei Feng , a Chinese soldier from the Mao-era who is celebrated as a selfless model citizen . The title above the images says , `` China 's 'Lei Feng for a new era . ' '' Those who wish to join the luncheon need to RSVP via a Hotmail email address . Chen said he was hoping the lunch would show the U.S. that there are Chinese philanthropists . `` There are many wealthy Chinese billionaires but most of them gained their wealth from market speculation and colluding with government officials while destroying the environment . I ca n't bear the sight of it , '' Chen told the South China Morning Post . Making his fortune from recycling domestic waste and construction materials in China , Chen has been in the media spotlight in recent years for his dramatic publicity stunts promoting philanthropic causes . He arrived at the scene of the 2013 Lushan earthquake in Sichuan just hours after the disaster took place and personally handed out cash to the victims . Chen has also tried unsuccessfully to buy the New York Times as part of his ongoing campaign to develop closer ties between U.S. and China . He recently expressed a desire to reignite discussions to buy the paper 's opinion section and fill it with articles about environmental protection and charity . Founder of the Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilization Group , Chen has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to various charitable causes over the years and has made it more than once onto Forbes ' list of Asia 's leading philanthropists . But not everyone is taken with Chen 's flashy generosity . Jeremy Goldkorn , director of Chinese media research firm Danwei , says : `` Chen is a clown whose so-called philanthropy appears to consist entirely of self-promotional stunts like giving handouts of cash in Taipei and New York , and cans of air to people in China . '' Goldkorn has also tweeted that Chen is the `` greatest insult to the Chinese people . '' Other critics find it difficult to take Chen seriously when his English namecard lists an absurdly long string of self-aggrandizing titles , including `` Most Charismatic Philanthropist of China . ''
Controversial millionaire Chen Yi is known for theatrical philanthropic stunts . His latest antic : treating poor people in the U.S. to a free lunch and promising cash handouts . He hopes to foster better economic conditions .