ive been under the impression the 1MM tips are just a bait for highest tipper. Phil never gets excited when 1mm tips and they are always behind the scenes. i really dont think he gets 1MM tips every day
I agree with you, though I do believe he gets money from 1 person every day.
What I think happens is that the person has a standing contribution of $40 that comes in at the start of Phil's stream. Phil then tailors that amount and the timing where he reads the tips to whatever he thinks will bait the next tips goal while still netting as much money as possible. The multiple names are part of some kind of system he worked out with this person, and they occasionally turn up with NoCouture for special events for significant contributions. All that we know about Phil's income suggest he isn't faking tips consistently. But manipulating values around $10 would definitely be possible.
I'm also a strong proponent of the theory that it's PlanetJeff.
1MM is the most interesting thing in the goutsphere right now.
Agreed. Unlike some... other whales, this whole thing is a key component of Phil's scam, and it's empowering the scam more than Phil directly. Whoever is doing this has extensive contact directly with Phil, is fully aware of the scam, but is some kind of true believer that is both getting scammed and helping to perpetuate it. Interestingly, they also appear to have decided it is better to drip-feed him money, implying that they're smarter than the other whales, knowing that Phil's spending needs to be paced, and that the other contributors are too stupid to understand the implications of these tips.
Phil has said he loves this version of A Christmas Carol. Which is ironic because this one very heavily focuses on Scrooge having destroyed his personal relationships because of his greed and builds up those side-characters for greater sentimentality. This version, more than any other I've seen, is a warning about living your life exactly the way Phil then went on to live his life.
EDIT: Phil just retold the gifted joystick story. He again stated that it was a long time fan who sent him to this without Phil asking for it.
Someone followed up by asking if he could get a PO Box and Phil said that he didn't want things sent to him without a heads up, or things that he didn't ask for.
If you connect these two statements, it pretty much leaves two options.
Either Phil bought it for himself, meaning that there was no issue with the random nature of the gift.
Or, Phil has extensive contact with this particular 'fan' and trusts them implicitly. In which case, there is a fan with whom he is carrying on the kind of relationship he stressed he would never have with his fans.