Generous mystery Qld businessman pays off more than $150k in lay-by across Mr Toys ToyWorld stores

A mystery businessman has paid off more than $150,000 of lay-bys at toy stores across Australia at a time when families are feeling crippling financial pressure.

A mystery North Brisbane businessman has created hundreds of Christmas miracles for families across Australia by generously paying off every single lay-by account at Mr Toys ToyWorld stores.

The businessman, who wishes to remain anonymous, paid off $150,000 worth of lay-by accounts, almost instantly dissolving at least some festive financial worry for hundreds of families across the country.

Mr Toys ToyWorld operations manager, Phillip Matthew said a total of 744 accounts were paid off, an average of $200 per account.

He said the enormous donation from the mystery real-life Santa had been in the works since Monday, and he had been bursting at the seams trying to keep the secret for the last four days.

“Keeping it a secret is the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” Mr Matthew said.

Today, he said he spent his day on the ground at stores, watching customers hear the news.

“I’ve seen the emotion first-hand of how thankful our customers are.”

A generous businessman has made many Christmas dreams come true thanks to a donation of $150,000 to pay off lay-by across the country. Photo: File.

He said there have been mixed reactions from the lucky customers, with some overwhelmed with joy, and one even hanging up on the call believing it was a scam.

“We called her back and she said she didn’t believe it because good things like that don’t happen,” he said.

Mr Matthew said the businessman, who frequents the Aspley store, originally asked to just pay off the lay-bys at three stores in North Brisbane.

But, when the businessman’s representative heard the number, they said they were looking to donate $150,000, which was enough to pay off every single lay-by account across the country.

Mr Matthew said while people have paid off lay-bys at individual stores before, there has never been anything of this “magnitude” before.

“I have the biggest amount of gratitude to this businessman,” he said.

The businessman donated the money to a charity who then paid off the lay-bys on his behalf to stay anonymous.

“He just wants to make sure no children go without,” Mr Matthew said.

Toowoomba mum Tanika Schulz said she had $170 of her lay-by paid, which has entirely changed her family’s festive outlook.

Rhiannon Greaves and Ben Nielsen are employees of Mr Toys ToyWorld on Ruthven St, Toowoomba. Photo: Jacklyn O'Brien

She said her family was struggling financially as she was unable to work due to an injury, and her partner’s work had been impacted by rain.

“We were only discussing last night how we were going to afford it,” she said.

She said the Christmas period is expensive at the best of times, even more so because her son’s birthday is on Christmas Day.

The items she had on lay-by (which cannot be disclosed in the interest of a good surprise on December 25) were for her son’s birthday, who will turn 13 this year.

“It’s a financial lift knowing we’ve got his birthday covered,” she said.

Rhiannon Greaves and Ben Nielsen are employees of Mr Toys ToyWorld on Ruthven St, Toowoomba. Photo: Jacklyn O'Brien

Ms Schulz said her partner got the call at lunchtime, and when she found out she welled with emotion.

“I got a little teary and overwhelmed with joy.”

An hour later, her voice was still thick with emotion as she said: “not many good things happens and this was just really nice.”

She took a deep sigh before saying her only word for what she was feeling was “grateful.”

“Hopefully everyone realises just a little bit of giving goes a long way.”

Staff member at the Toowoomba Mr Toys ToyWorld, Rhiannon Greaves, spent her day handing customers their items fully paid off.

“A couple of people have been like ‘I’m not sure how we were going to afford this in the next few weeks,’ and they’ve had a bit of an emotional moment,” she said.

“They’ve all really really appreciated it.”

Social media manager at Mr Toys ToyWorld, Imogen Cavanagh-Bailey was the lucky employee responsible for calling all the customers to tell them the good news.

She said her stand-out interaction through the day was one customer who had been doing it really tough and had not been able to make the payments on the layby.

She said the customer thought she was calling to tell them their lay-by had been cancelled.

“They were scared their kids would have no presents under the tree this year,” she said.

“They just started crying and saying how thankful they were.”

She said most lay-by accounts had between $100-$500, all of which she said were significant amounts during a cost of living crisis.

“It’s really the true Christmas Australian spirit,” she said.