Kunal Nayyar of “Big Bang Theory” has been quietly paying off the medical bills of families in need.
“Money has given me a lot of freedom and the greatest gift of all is the ability to give back, to change people’s lives,” said Nayyar in a December 2025 interview with iPaper, which has been circulating on X.
“We also support animal charities because we love dogs,” he added about himself and his wife, Neha Kapur. “But what I really like is doing a GoFundMe at night and just paying off medical bills for random families. That’s my disguise! So, no, money doesn’t feel like a burden. It feels like a blessing from the universe.”
Nayyar explained that his wealth “doesn’t weigh” on him, as he is able to donate to worthy causes anonymously.
According to Fortune magazine, the actor – who played Raj Koothrappali in the popular series during its entire 12 season run, from 2007 to 2019 – boasts a net worth of $45 million.
In a December interview, the actor explained that he believes more happiness can be found through generosity.
“Right now people are not happy, because we all expect someone else to be kind,” he told the media. “We are waiting for a president or a politician, a certain leader, to come and bring us peace in the world.”
He added that “there is no peace in the world if your neighbor comes to your house looking for sugar for his tea, and you lock him up and say ‘go away.'”
He also asserted that “no one will come and change the world for you, you have to do it yourself.”
This resurfaced conversation caught the attention of people using social media following the huge success of fundraising for the family of the late James Van Der Beek, which has brought in more than $2.6 million since the actor’s death on February 11.
The “Dawson’s Creek” star’s wife Kimberly and their six children found themselves “bankrupt” after expensive cancer treatment left them “facing an uncertain future” after his death, according to a GoFundMe page.
Although Realtor.com later reported that the “Varsity Blues” star had purchased his Texas rental a month before his death, a representative explained to Page Six that he had done so with the help of friends.
“James got a down payment on the family’s Texas ranch with the help of friends through a trust so they could move the rental property to another place to live,” they told us.
Van Der Beek’s fundraising effort has been defended by celebrities including Donna Vivino, many of whom have commented on the high cost of health care in social media posts.
