by CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Jesús Morales rolls down his window as he pulls into a California Home Depot parking lot.
“We need three workers,” he says in Spanish.
“We’re going to go to Disneyland,” Morales tells the men as they climb into the back seat of his SUV. “We’ll pay you for the day.”
“But what are we going to do there?” one of the workers asks.
“Enjoy the park. That’s all,” Morales says.
Puzzled expressions flash across the day laborers’ faces. It’s clear this isn’t what the men were expecting. And that’s exactly the point.
Years ago, if you’d told Morales he’d leave behind the job he loved at a San Diego gym and make TikToks for a living, he would have given you a similar, this-dude-is-out-of-his-mind look.
But today, the 27-year-old has amassed more than 5 million followers and more than 160 million likes on the social media platform, where he’s known as juixxe. He’s secured sponsorships from big-name brands, and filmed videos with celebrities like Mario Lopez and Oscar de la Hoya by his side.
His devoted fanbase has come to expect — and adore — the moments Morales shares from his visits to Home Depot parking lots and street corners across Southern California. Since 2020, he’s posted hundreds of videos showing him surprising workers and street vendors — many of whom are Spanish-speaking immigrants — with grand gestures such as $1,000 tips and trips to Disneyland. And viewers of his videos have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help his cause.
“For me that’s what’s most surprising,” Morales says, “how powerful the internet is, and how awesome it can be when you utilize it for good.”
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