Oprah and Dwayne Johnson’s Maui fund distributed $60 million to over 8,100 fire survivors

Photo credit: Oprah/ Instagram When deadly wildfires devastated Lahaina and Kula in August 2023, Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson launched the People’s Fund of Maui with an initial $10 million commitment. The idea was simple and urgent: put cash directly into the hands of adults who could no longer live in their primary homes. The Associated Press reported that the fund ultimately distributed almost $60 million over six months, providing monthly payments of $1,200 to more than 8,100 residents.The fund became one of the most visible private relief efforts after the Maui fires. Its direct-payment model aimed to give survivors flexibility at a moment when many had lost homes, belongings, jobs, and stability, while avoiding some of the delays that can come with more tightly restricted aid programmes.How the fund beganWinfrey and Johnson announced the People’s Fund of Maui on August 31, 2023, less than a month after the wildfires swept through parts of the island. They each committed money toward the initial $10 million launch and invited the public to contribute to the recovery effort.The fund was designed for adult residents of Lahaina and Kula whose primary residences had been destro...