A stool donor based in Chilliwack, Canada -- who earned about Rs 3.4 lakh in 2025 by selling their poop -- has gone viral online after sharing details of their unusual but medically significant side‑gig, shining the spotlight on faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and the booming market around “high‑quality stool.”
The donor, who is in their twenties, said that their family is supportive, especially because their stool samples can help cure infections that their grandfather suffered from before he died. So now, he poops into special containers handed out by the FMT company, stores it in a special fridge until it's collected, processed and used in patients.
In the life-saving procedure or FMT, stool from a healthy donor is inserted into the colon of a patient suffering from Clostridioides difficile infections, which cause watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, and nausea. The procedure is regarded as highly effective, and it restores healthy gut bacteria.
Poop samples cured more than 400 patients
The donor, who requested anonymity, said they had given away 149 stool samples last year. They were paid $25 (about Rs 2,300) for each of them. Thanks to their contribution, more than 400 people were cured of Clostridium difficile infections. A single stool donation can reportedly treat three patients.
"The opportunity to be a paid stool donor wasn’t even on my radar going into 2025, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way!" the donor said. "Now I can’t imagine a life where I don’t get paid to poop."
Speaking to Moneycontrol, the donor, who goes by @paid.to.poop on TikTok and Instagram, said that they came across the unique opportunity by chance.
"I was out for a walk in my neighbourhood one day and came across their recruitment ad on a community board!" they said. From there, the process shifted quickly from curiosity to a stringent medical evaluation headed by the FMT manufacturing company.
"Don't want to be known as ‘the poop person’ forever"
Despite having more than 21,000 followers on Instagram, the donor said they prefer to stay unnamed despite their viral social‑media presence.
“As proud as I am of contributing to medicine and science, digital footprints are permanent. Given that my account has gone viral, I don’t necessarily want to be known as ‘the poop person’ forever,” they said.
A selection process tougher than most jobs
To become a qualified stool donor, Instagram user @paid.to.poop had to undergo multiple layers of screening regulated by Health Canada:
They were only the second donor to be accepted when the programme launched. Today, the pool stands at six donors, with the acceptance rate hovering at 1–2 percent, in line with global estimates that only a tiny fraction of the population meets the health standards required for FMT-grade stool.
FMT companies emphasise that only the “extremely healthy” — often fewer than 0.1 percent of individuals — qualify as high‑value donors.
The business of poop: ‘It makes them big money’
The donor revealed that the company is “emotionally attached” to them as one of the original contributors. While they do not regularly discuss stool quality, they have learned one thing very clearly: “When I give them healthy samples — a 2, 3, or 4 on the Bristol Stool Scale — it makes them big money.”
‘My friends think it’s hilarious, but they’re supportive’
When asked about their family and friends' reaction to his side hustle, the donor told Moneycontrol: "My family are supportive of my decision to contribute to medicine in this way, especially since it makes me some extra cash!" The donor added that their friends are also supportive, and many of them actually wish they could become donors too, but only one of them was eligible and became a donor as well. "My friends think it’s pretty funny that I’m famous online for getting paid to poop."
Mixed reactions from social media users
@paid.to.poop invites questions from social media users and is thus a very active profile, but the donor's fame online has been a mixed bag. “Some people praise me for helping save lives. Others think it’s disgusting or disgraceful. The ones who criticise it usually don’t understand FMT. I focus on the people who say it saved their life or loved ones," they said.
The donor also encourages others to sign up as the science grows. “FMT is still new. This company has existed for just over a year. As the field develops, there will definitely be more opportunities worldwide. The more donors, the merrier," they said.
They regularly update followers on potential expansion through their social‑media accounts, which now serve as an informal resource hub for aspiring donors.
A global market with growing interest
The broader stool‑donor industry has gained attention as microbiome research accelerates. Companies such as Human Microbes — founded in the US and operating across North America — now pre‑pay donors and arrange for dry‑ice shipping, even accepting international samples if quality criteria are met.
What remains clear from both the donor’s experience and the broader industry context is that stool donation, while unusual, is far from frivolous. High‑quality stool is in short supply, and FMT has become a vital treatment option. Companies such as Human Microbes are willing to pay premium rates (as much as Rs 1.5 crore per year) because a single donor can support thousands of patients over time.
For this donor, however, the mission transcends money.
“It’s about helping people. If three patients get cured every time I donate, that’s what keeps me going.”
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