Veteran, 88, who became social media sensation, receives $1.7M to retire

An 88-year-old Army veteran working as a cashier at Meijer in Brighton became a millionaire this week thanks to the kindness of complete strangers from around the world.

Ed Bambas' story began to spread after a social media influencer from Australia shared his story and started an online fundraiser to help him retire. In less than a week, that fundraiser far exceeded its goal and everyone's wildest dreams.

Watch Brett Kast's video report: 88-year-old Army veteran receives $1.77 million from strangers after viral TikTok video

The story started when 88-year-old Bambas met social media influencer Sam Weidenhofer in the checkout line at Meijer a week and a half ago. It was a simple question that got Bambas' attention, and his story grabbed the attention of the world .

"My wife died s