Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr Help Erase $550 Million in Medical Debt for Over 261,000 Californians
核心洞察
Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr made a multimillion-dollar donation to Undue Medical Debt (搜索), eliminating $550 million in medical debt for more than 261,000 Californians.
Undue Medical Debt (搜索) acquires bundled medical debt at a fraction of its value, with every $10 donated relieving approximately $1,000 in debt.
Recipients, who earn at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or have debt exceeding 5% of their income, will receive notification letters starting mid-July.
Snap Chief Executive Evan Spiegel and his wife, supermodel and KORA Organics founder Miranda Kerr, have helped pay off $550 million in medical debt for more than 261,000 Californians through a multimillion-dollar donation to the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt (搜索).
The organization acquires medical debt in bulk from hospitals, physician groups, collection agencies, and other entities for a fraction of the cost, allowing donations to have an outsized impact. Every $10 donated to Undue Medical Debt (搜索) relieves an average of $1,000 in medical debt. The couple and the nonprofit did not disclose the exact amount of the donation.
"When someone you love is sick, all you want to do is focus on helping them get better," Kerr said in a video announcement with Spiegel. "That's why we wanted to support this effort and help relieve medical debt, so families can focus on caring for their loved ones and really supporting their healing."
The Scale of the Medical Debt Crisis
In the United States, 1 in 4 adults are in medical debt, according to Undue Medical Debt (搜索) President and Chief Executive Allison Sesso. Medical debt has become the leading cause of bankruptcy in the country.
"It's a growing crisis undermining healthcare access, economic wellbeing and mental health and we're so grateful that Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr share our belief that no one should go bankrupt because of a cancer diagnosis and no family should have to choose between insulin and groceries," Sesso said in a statement.
Spiegel, whose net worth is roughly $2 billion according to Forbes, emphasized the importance of community support. "At a time when many families are already facing rising costs across nearly every aspect of daily life, an unexpected medical bill can create financial stress that lasts for years," Spiegel said.
How the Debt Relief Works
Californians whose medical debt has been paid off will begin receiving letters from Undue Medical Debt (搜索) in mid-July informing them of the relief. Individuals cannot request debt relief directly; the nonprofit acquires bundled debt for thousands of people at once. Those who qualify either earn at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or have medical debt that exceeds 5% of their income.
The impact is immediate for recipients. Brooklyn, a former recipient from Woodland, California, shared her experience: "In 2018, I was in a traumatic car accident during a medical crisis. The ambulance bill alone was over $4,600 — a number that haunted me for years while I was trying to rebuild my life, go back to school, and raise my daughter as a single mom. I never thought I'd get relief. When I opened the letter from Undue Medical Debt (搜索), I cried. Not just because the money was erased, but because someone out there believed I deserved a second chance. This isn't just about debt — it's about hope."
Geographic Distribution of Relief
San Diego County residents benefited the most from the donation, with total medical debt relief through the couple's gift totaling roughly $99 million and affecting 40,369 people. In Los Angeles County, the gift provided $26.7 million in medical debt relief to 17,466 people. Other top counties receiving relief include Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Monterey, San Francisco, Sonoma, and Alameda counties.
Broader Philanthropic Context
This is not the couple's first major philanthropic effort. In 2022, they paid off the student loans for the Otis College of Art and Design's graduating class. In 2025, Spiegel was among business leaders and philanthropists who helped form the Department of Angels, a group aimed at supporting Los Angeles's fire recovery efforts following the January 2025 wildfires that destroyed roughly 200,000 homes. Spiegel, who grew up in Pacific Palisades and lost his childhood home in those fires, donated $5 million in immediate aid with Snap and co-founder Bobby Murphy that month.
"He said in a statement that California has given so much to him and his family and that he cares 'deeply about the wellbeing of our communities,'" the announcement noted.
Undue Medical Debt (搜索) has now abolished more than $40 billion of medical debt across all 50 states, supported by public figures and everyday donors alike. "The scale of this gift to Californians is truly astonishing, unburdening over a quarter million families of over half a billion dollars of un-payable medical debt," Sesso said.