His cash prize went down the toilet!
A Norwegian college student ruined his pants on camera to win an extravagant $ 5,000 contest, but customs officials confiscated the money and never saw a penny of it, he told the Post.
“It’s wrong to take the money I worked for,” aspired Dan Holt, a 23-year-old from Haugesund. “The police questioned me, but I can’t take the blame.”
Holt first heard about the so-called “5,000 challenge” celebrated on Instagram by Finnish sunglasses company Nopeet in November, he said.
The firm urged contestants to film themselves doing the most “crazy” trick possible and then say “Nopeet made me do it!” and post the images along with a company hashtag, according to a post announcing the contest.
“I thought I would make a chance,” Holt said, adding that he needed the money. “I found it funny and I like to push myself.”
To win, Holt disguised himself as Santa Claus and took a tobacco bong inside a local mall, then vomited and rode his bike into an icy river. He later filmed footage of himself stepping on his pants inside the mall as spectators gasped.
“All the jaws fell off,” he said. “People were like, what about fk? But the purpose was to make it as crazy as possible.
He posted the wild images on Instagram and on January 5 learned that he had won and would receive cash from the company in the mail.
For dramatic effect, the firm wrapped the cash in a Bible and asked it to be filmed opening it, Holt said.
But the “incomplete-looking” package was confiscated days later by Norwegian Customs and Holt was later questioned by Haugesund police for failing to declare a large sum of money, Holt said.
Nopeet quickly defended him, posting a cash-filled Bible photo on Instagram along with the text “This is UNFAIR!”
“The Norwegian authorities did not take part in the #NopeetMadeMeDoIt challenge and are now trying to steal the prizes belonging to @igordieseltv by confiscating them. This is UNJUST! If they wanted the prize money, they should have taken part in the challenge, ”the firm said.
The company added: “Our lawyers are already working to sue the Norwegian authorities.”
Holt now says he just wants his money earned.
“I did not do anything illegal. I was just the winner of the competition, ”he said. “It’s a lot of money for me. It would help me move forward in life. ”
He added: “I guess I know I have to declare money now, but it’s probably the only lesson I learned … Making the videos was fun.”
Norwegian Customs and Haugesund police did not immediately return any request for comments on Thursday.