Aussie founder’s toilet stunt pays off as company donates $20m
Aussie entrepreneur Simon Griffiths famously refused to leave a toilet for 50 hours to fund his start-up, a commercial gamble that has now hit a huge milestone.
The Melbourne-based social enterprise Who Gives A Crap recently surpassed $20 million in total contributions to global water and sanitation projects.
The company launched in 2012 with a viral crowd-funding campaign that saw Mr Griffiths sit on the loo until he raised enough pre-orders to start production.
The CEO & co-founder said the stunt was a massive risk that left him with a three-year medical recovery.
“My legs didn’t recover for about three years afterwards,” Mr Griffiths told News Corp Australia.
“I had to get them checked for deep vein thrombosis because I had all of the symptoms of DVT.
“I was certainly wondering for three years after that whether it was all going to be worth it.
“Hitting the $20 million mark certainly makes it feel like it was.”
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Simon Griffiths, co-founder and CEO of Who Gives A Crap. Picture: Supplied
Who Gives A Crap recently surpassed $20 million in total contributions to global water and sanitation projects. Picture: Supplied
The remarkable achievement comes as the brand’s rapid expansion in supermarket aisles proves its profit-for-purpose model is now a serious competitor to retail giants.
Latest data reveals Who Gives A Crap saw a 19.97 per cent year-on-year growth in Woolworths between July 2024 and July 2025.
About 91 per cent of Woolworths customers who switched to Who Gives A Crap in the last year came from non-eco brands.
The company now holds a massive national footprint with products in 2920 physical locations across major retailers including Woolworths, Aldi and Richie’s IGA.
Mr Griffiths said the business was now challenging the “physics of capitalism” he was taught at university.
“What I got taught was that to build a successful business, you have to hold onto your profits and reinvest them,” he said.
“I think we’ve shown the opposite. You can give away half of your profits and that drives a more successful business in the long run.”
The 50 per cent profit donation model has now provided safe water access to more than 303,000 people and funded 8962 toilets globally. Picture: Supplied
Recent projects include the rehabilitation of water systems across 79 Rwandan schools. Picture: Supplied
The company has expanded overseas into Tesco and Waitrose in the UK, alongside Whole Foods Market in the US.
The 50 per cent profit donation model has now helped global impact partners like Water for People provide safe water access to more than 303,000 people and funded 8962 toilets globally..
Recent projects include the rehabilitation of water systems across 79 Rwandan schools, ensuring 62,000 students have access to safe hygiene.
The company is also moving into the carbon market, backing credits that convert human waste into fertiliser and animal feed.
“People are waking up to the fact that there are better choices out there and we’re seeing that play out in the sales numbers,” Mr Griffiths said.
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