Video of man tossing money on New York streets is not related to COVID

A video of a man tossing money in New York’s Time Square is being shared on social media along with the text, “A man died in New York City, due to corona. He made a will to his friend that all his money be tossed in the middle of the street to let people learn that all the money/wealth of the world has no value compared to your health.” The man in the video says that he is tossing money in the memory of this friend Joe Kush who passed away last year.

न्यूयॉर्क में एक व्यक्ति करोना की वजह से मर गया उसने अपने दोस्त के नाम वसीयत लिखी के मेरा सारा पैसा सड़क के बीचो बीच आसमान में उछाल कर लुटा देना जिससे लोगों को सीख मिले कि दुनिया की सारी दौलत भी किसी इंसान की सेहत से ज्यादा कीमती नहीं होती 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/OVDTh1JqS9

— 🇮🇳 शेषधर तिवारी 🇮🇳 (@sdtiwari) May 26, 2021

The video has been shared on Facebook.

Alt News has also received multiple fact-check requests for the clip on its WhatsApp helpline number (+91 76000 11160).

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Multiple Facebook and Twitter users had shared this video with a COVID spin since April.

Twitter user @rajivmehta19 garnered 28,000 views for the clip.

A man died in New York City, due to corona. He made a will to his friend that all his money to be tossed in middle of street as let people learn that all the money/wealth of the world has no value in comparison to your health. #vaccine #corona pic.twitter.com/2vhRBkKBrE

— Rajiv Mehta (@rajivmehta19) April 15, 2021

GOQii CEO Vishal Gondal tweeted this video along with the viral text on April 15. Since then it gained about 1,500 views.

A man died in New York City, due to corona. He made a will to his friend that all his money to be tossed in middle of street as let people learn that all the money/wealth of the world has no value in comparison to your health#HealthIsWealth @GOQii pic.twitter.com/z1EqGU3r3w

— Vishal Gondal (@vishalgondal) April 15, 2021

Several Facebook users posted the video including singer Minu Muneer who has over 7 lakh followers.

Not related to COVID

The man in the video doesn’t reveal the cause of the death of his friend. He throws cash on the street and says, “A year ago today. A friend of mine died. He was the rain man, right? His name was Joe Kush. He got killed. And there were some pieces [jewellery] that he made that he never finished. Right here [shows two diamond-studded pendants]. And he made one for his daughter. He was a dude that was making good money and got killed for nothing. And I want to kind of commemorate he died on the Ides of March [March 15] like Caesar…So it’s in his honour. It’s not something I want to do. It’s for him and if his family is watching I’d like them to DM me and I like to get them the pieces. Rest in peace, my brother.”

Joe Kush is a US-based rapper. As per Latest News South Africa, Kush hasn’t been active on social media since March 2020. This led to the rumour that Kush was allegedly shot dead. The report added that the artist’s management hasn’t responded to the claim. Keyword search on Google doesn’t show a single media report that confirms his death.

As per Kush’s Instagram page, Fredj Productions handle his bookings. The rapper’s last post was on March 13, 2020, which shows him counting cash.

The viral video was uploaded earlier this year by TraxNYC Diamond Jewelry on March 20. TraxNYC is a New York-based jewellery company founded by Maksud Trax Agadjani. Agadjani is the man in the viral video.

He is featured in the US-based fashion magazine GQ Magazine where he critiques chains of various rappers, including Quavo, Gucci Mane, Offset, 2 Chainz, Vic Mensa, Lil Pump, Future and Wiz Khalifa.

In December 2019, Kush uploaded a video of tossing cash on the street. Agadjani also features multiple times in the clip.

A video by a US-based jewellery store TraxNYC owner is being shared on Indian social media with the claim that a man is tossing money after his friend — rapper Joe Kush — died on March 15, 2020, due to coronavirus. However, there are no reports of Kush’s death at the moment.