In April, a teen named Carter Wilkerson asked Wendy’s how many retweets he would need to get in exchange for a year of free chicken nuggets. The fast-food chain replied that it would take 18 million retweets.
The 16-year-old set out on a wild mission to get free Wendy’s chicken nuggets for a year by asking the internet to help his challenging quest. Carter took a screenshot of the conversation and asked the internet to help him because, as he tweeted, “a man needs his nuggs.” Soon Twitter’s most retweeted tweet was born as his post quickly went viral.
HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS pic.twitter.com/4SrfHmEMo3
— Carter Wilkerson (@carterjwm) April 6, 2017
The tweet from Carter Wilkerson for a year of free chicken nuggets from Wendy’s is now the most retweeted post of all time. Unknowingly, Carter was directly competing with Ellen DeGeneres for the most retweeted tweet of all time.
If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014
Carter Wilkinson’s tweet for a year of free chicken nuggets has surpassed Ellen DeGeneres’ viral tweet from the 2014 Oscars with more than 3.4 million retweets. Twitter has confirmed that #NuggsForCarter has become the most retweeted tweet of all time.
Ellen DeGeneres even confronted the teen in person on The Ellen Show on April 18th about his attempt to beat her for the record.
Despite not hitting the 18 million mark, Wendy’s says Wilkinson has earned free nuggets for a year. Wendy’s also pledged to donate $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption after Wilkerson’s tweet broke the record.
.@carterjwm is now the most retweeted tweet of all-time. That’s good for the nuggets, and $100k to @DTFA. Consider it done. #nuggsforcarter pic.twitter.com/k6uhsJiP4E
— Wendy's (@Wendys) May 9, 2017
Wilkerson’s plea for free nuggets also broke the retweet record, according to Guinness World Records. His tweet was shared more than 3.5 million times. Previously, the most shared tweet was Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie with 3.4 million retweets.
Congratulations to @carterjwm who just broke @TheEllenShow's record for most retweeted tweet on @Twitter #NuggsForCarter pic.twitter.com/gwKyq8zmfP
— GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) May 9, 2017
Carter Wilkerson now got free Wendy’s chicken nuggets for the year. In doing so, he successfully surpassed Ellen DeGeneres for the world record of the most retweeted tweet of all time. In the meanwhile, Wendy’s got free publicity and advertising. A full year supply of free chicken nuggets is such a bargain.