by Former General Motors Employee Lost Pension Due to Auto Giant’s Bankruptcy
The automotive industry often speaks of legacy and loyalty, as if the workers and customers who supported a brand for decades are family. However, for Ed Bumbas, this story took on a completely different, darker hue. The 88-year-old former General Motors employee found himself behind the checkout counter of a grocery store after losing the pension he believed was guaranteed.
Bumbas left General Motors in 1999 after a long career, expecting a peaceful autumn of life. However, the consequences of the company’s 2009 bankruptcy caught up with him years later. Like tens of thousands of other retirees, Bumbas lost his pension and a significant portion of his medical insurance following the restructuring of the obligations of the “old” GM.
Difficult Circumstances and Return to Work
Life added even more difficulties. His wife became seriously ill, medical bills mounted, and nearly all of his life insurance vanished. At the age of 82, after losing his wife and exhausting his savings, Bumbas did what he never expected. He had to return to work. Not to a GM assembly line, but to a Meijer supermarket near Detroit, where he spent eight hours a day, five days a week, scanning barcodes to make ends meet.
For many years, the story could have ended there – another quiet victim of corporate restructuring and vanished pensions. But this time, the internet noticed. Young Australian blogger Sam Weidenhofer met Bumbas during a visit to the US and filmed him explaining why he was still working, approaching 90 years old.
Unexpected Help from Strangers
A GoFundMe campaign exploded. Over 15,000 people made donations, some contributing up to $10,000, and within a few days, the amount reached $1.7 million, becoming one of the largest personal fundraisers in the platform’s history. Weidenhofer returned to the store and presented Bumbas with a symbolic oversized check, opening the door to a dignified retirement.
Ed is 88 years old. He is a veteran. A man who kept working due to debts over $225,000 that he didn’t want to leave to his family. And today… we presented him with a check for $1.77 million. He cried. We cried. And his life is forever changed. Thank you to everyone who made this miracle possible. This is about much more than just Ed; it’s proof that humanity is still beautiful…
These funds will easily cover the veteran’s debts, which amount to about $225,000, and allow Bumbas to spend his old age in comfort. According to Fox8, he wants to travel, visit his brother, and return to playing golf. He also noted that he will continue working for another month or two to smoothly conclude this chapter. This will give him enough time to decide which car to buy with the new funds. If he’s not too disillusioned with GM and his health allows, it might be worth looking at the 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X.
This story makes particularly noticeable the contrast between corporate decisions that can change the lives of thousands and the power of community, capable of correcting injustice in an instant. It also raises questions about the real value of corporate promises and the social responsibility of big business towards those who dedicated years of their lives to it. Ed Bumbas’s story is not just about financial aid, but also about how modern technology and media can unite people around genuine humanity, creating new forms of solidarity that often prove more effective than formal institutions.
