Omaze's $500M Charity Scam: Only 18% Actually Helps People episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 9, 2026 · 15 MIN

Omaze's $500M Charity Scam: Only 18% Actually Helps People

from The Invisible Hand · host Emma Reid

You dropped 20 bucks on that Omaze dream car giveaway thinking you're helping kids with cancer. Plot twist: less than 4 dollars actually made it to charity. In this episode, Emma Reid exposes how these feel-good sweepstakes are basically legalized gambling disguised as charity work. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why Omaze keeps 75-80% of every dollar you donate (and how they legally get away with it) • The real odds of winning that Tesla Model S (spoiler: worse than getting struck by lightning twice) • How Omaze raised $150 million last year but only $30 million reached actual charities • Which red flags to spot before your next "charitable" purchase 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's ever bought a raffle ticket thinking they were doing good in the world. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Emma Reid breaks down the Omaze business model [02:15] The 18% rule: where your money actually goes [04:30] Real winner odds vs what they tell you [06:45] How small charities get trapped in these partnerships [09:00] Three questions to ask before donating [11:30] Better ways to give that actually help people 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow The Invisible Hand on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Emma drops new episodes daily, and tomorrow she's breaking down why your grocery bill keeps climbing even though inflation is "under control." 🔍 Topics: charity scams, omaze sweepstakes, donation fraud, gambling disguised as charity, fundraising ethics Get new episodes at The Invisible Hand ------- Keywords: personal finance, finance explained, investment tips, market analysis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 9, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Omaze's $500M Charity Scam: Only 18% Actually Helps People

0:00 15:55

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Invisible Hand?

This episode is 15 minutes long.

When was this The Invisible Hand episode published?

This episode was published on September 9, 2026.

Can I download this The Invisible Hand episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!