After watching my episode of Secret Millionaire, I learned that reality-TV is all about post production. Even though the emotions and stories are all real – editing makes everything come to life. Nevertheless, here are some missing parts that never made the episode:

•    The obvious shock, the show advertises that a millionaire will donate at least $100,000 of their money. I ended up gifting well over $100,000 – but the way editing was done – it made it seem I only gifted $90,000.

•    Due to privacy issues (which I completely understand), one of the additional recipients that I gifted was completely edited out.

•    St. Anthony’s is also a place where a lot of people go when they are trying to get their lives back on track. Even getting a job these days is all about getting on the Internet. So, I donated a new computer lab to St. Anthony’s.

•    I was deeply touched by the kids that lived at Raphael House. So, I started a “birthday fund” so at the very least, they get a birthday gift on their special day.

•    In the final part of the show – the millionaires go back into the community to follow up on the recipients that they gifted. That also did not make the final cut.

I know a part of making this show – is to keep it entertaining. So, there were certain scenes that were also edited in to add humor. I got a laugh out of them myself. I never actually said BAM four times in a row or said “grocery shopping – it’s not that easy.”

Nevertheless, my heart was always in the right place when I did Secret Millionaire. I’m proud of what I was able to do and blessed that God gave me the opportunity to start giving back at a young age. I’ve also continued to support St. Anthony’s and Raphael House throughout this year.

And, I’m sure philanthropy wise; this is only the beginning for me.

For those of that missed the episode you can catch it locally on Chahal.com or Hulu.com.

It was great to see Raphael House and St. Anthony’s get great recognition for being amazing local charities of San Francisco. It’s unfortunate that some of the people I gifted were left out of the editing room floor since I had donated over $100,000. But, I understand it’s hard to put an entire week into a one-hour episode.

Nevertheless, I had an incredible experience being a part of Secret Millionaire. I hope it inspires the youth to be a part of philanthropy very early in life.

I also would like to thank everyone for the incredible feedback.

Episode Premiere: December 11th, 2008
Time: 8 pm / 7 pm Central
Network: FOX

As many of you know, my episode for Secret Millionaire premieres today. After I sold BlueLithium to Yahoo last year, I also signed a 3-year non-compete. So I decided to make a list of all the different things I wanted to do outside of “business.” One was to write my memoir, “The Dream”, and another was to develop reality-based television shows that could inspire people. In November 2007, I signed up with William Morris to explore both of these projects.

 My agent introduced me to a group of producers of who were doing a show at FOX called “Secret Millionaire,” And who asked me if I wanted to be on the show. I was skeptical at first but I liked the premise:  Going undercover and helping people that have no expectations. In February, I was cast as the first Secret Millionaire and began filming the show.  Surprisingly enough, this ended up becoming one of the best experiences of my life.

You sometimes wonder why certain things happen to you – especially at certain points in your life. Perhaps, this was God’s way of reminding me that no matter how successful I become – to never forget where I came from. This type of neighborhood was familiar territory for me because more than twenty years ago, when my parents came to the United States from India, we lived in the projects of East San Jose.

During the week I filmed the show, I spent most of my time at two charities. St. Anthony’s Dining Room (soup kitchen), and Raphael House (a woman’s shelter). At the soup kitchen, I stood in line, ate food with the homeless, and helped out in the kitchen. Through this, I met some incredible personalities. At Raphael House, I was fortunate that I was able to volunteer there. Since, it was a battered woman’s shelter and I was a man. Nevertheless, I met some amazing women who had one main goal in life, which was their desire to be great mothers. I’m very close to my grandmother, mother, and sisters and saw my emotional journey begin to take over. I realized how grateful I am for family and how blessed we all are in this world.

 At the end of my journey, I donated over $100,000 to the charities and to 3 individuals with whom I had developed an emotional connection. I also realized deep down inside, even though I am only 26 – that philanthropy is going to be a big part of my future. This show also goes beyond money. The gifting, while it was monetary – the emotional impact was far greater. It helped renew hope in humanity.

At the end of the day, philanthropy is not measured monetarily but based on the time and commitment someone offers. I hope we all continue to do our part and offer a hand. These are hard times in America. At times like these, it is good to help those who have less than you.

For more information about the two charities I mentioned above you can visit:

St. Anthony’s Dining Room: http://www.stanthonysf.org/
Raphael House: http://www.raphaelhouse.org/

I started my book/speaking/press tour last week and kicked it off in Philadelphia (the official kick-off happens in December). You can see the clips from NBC 10 and my BCA speech by clicking on the hyper links. If you’d like to attend or see any of my events for December – here’s my tentative schedule. My schedule is still being finalized so check back for additions. I’ll be talking about my story, The Dream, Secret Millionaire, other TV projects, and gWallet.

Television/Print

• Current TV Segment
• ABC News Now (Dec 1st)
• Mornings with Mike & Juliet on Fox (Dec 2nd)
• CW 11 New York (Dec 2nd)
• Fox News Edge
• Inside Edition
• Upclose and Personal with TVGuide.com
• Neil Cavuto on Fox (Dec 2nd)
• Fox & Friends Segment (Dec 3rd)
• Associated Press Television
• Extra TV Segment
• Secret Millionaire Premiere on Fox (Dec 3rd)
• Reality Chat with TV Guide Network (Dec 9th)
• Bonnie Hunt Talk Show (Dec 11th)
• Secret Millionaire (My Episode) on Fox (Dec 11th)
• Mens Fitness Magazine (Dec 2008 issue)
• Young Money Magazine Cover (Dec 2008 issue)
• Hindustan Times

Speaking Engagements

• Keynote Speech @ Pace University: The 5th Annual Pace Pitch Contest
Thursday, December 4th, 2008
5:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Schimmel Center, 1 Pace Plaza, NYC

Book Signings

• Schimmel Center/Pace University (1 Pace Plaza, NYC) 5pm (Dec 4th)
• Books Inc (Mountain View, CA) 7:30pm (Dec 16)
• Book Passage (San Francisco, CA) 7:00pm (Dec 18)
• Towne Center Books (Pleasanton Library) 2:00pm (January 18)
• Stacey’s Books (581 Market Street, San Francisco) 12:30pm (January 20)

I will always remember 2008 now for 3 reasons: “The Dream”, Secret Millionaire, and Oprah. It’s always been a dream of mine to be interviewed by her and I’m glad I was able to share my story with her. What I didn’t expect was all of the positive support I would get after the segment aired. I’ve received thousands of emails over the last few days letting me know how I’ve inspired many to keep on dreaming.

So, first and foremost I’d like thank all of you for writing to me. Your words were priceless and I can’t thank all of you enough for the love and support you have given me. While, I still plan on going through all of the emails and responding to as many as I can – I wanted to share one special one with you from a 7-year old. Reading this – made a huge impact to me. It reminded me of all the reasons why I wrote “The Dream” – and realized it will make the impact I was looking for…

Name : XXXXXXXXXX

Company : Not yet. I’m only 7.

Email : XXXXXXXXXX

Phone Number: XXXXXXXXXX

Message : Hi G,

I saw you on the Oprah Show. Thank you for talking, to Oprah about being teased, in school. I am teased a lot; because, I have dyslexia. I think I am the least popular boy in my class. I’m trying to do what you told Oprah you did. I heard you say that you, “used the noise, for energy.” This is what I do, too.

I know wearing a turban and having dyslexia are not the same; but, we both turn negative noise into something positive. Hearing what you said, in your interview, gives me an extra boost of good energy.

Thanks,

XXXXXX

Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting the most powerful woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey. One of my dreams has always been to meet her and if I got the chance appear on her show. Yesterday – both happened. The show’s theme was “Young Moguls.” Her first guests were Mary-Kate & Ashley Olson and I was her second guest. During my segment, I discussed with her my childhood, core values, and upcoming projects including the book and Secret Millionaire.

If you get the chance – make sure to watch or TIVO the episode. It’s tentatively supposed to air next Thursday, October 23^rd 2008. Surprisingly – that day is also special for another reason. My book, The Dream, was fast-tracked and will be released early. It should be in bookstores and ship out from Amazon.com on October 23^rd (next week). If any of you read the book – I hope it inspires you to never stop dreaming and to always shoot for the stars. 

Yesterday, I was invited to attend the Fox Fall Premiere event in West Hollywood, CA at the London Hotel. It was to help kickoff the season for Fox’s new and returning fall lineup. All of the stars for their upcoming scripted and reality shows were present at the event. Another cool part of the event was it was an “eco-friendly” theme. So, mostly everyone including myself came to the event in a Prius.

After the press circuit – I went into the event and was allowed to get on stage and spin a wheel. The wheel had numbers ranging from $100 to $5000 – and whatever number came up – we were allowed donate it to one of the 3 eco-friendly charities. When I took the spin – it landed at $200 and I selected the Nature Conservancy.

I had an amazing time and met some great people. I am excited about the premiere of Secret Millionaire more than ever. As you may know, I was approached late last year for a new show that Fox had just ordered (Secret Millionaire). I had an incredible journey being a part of the show. In my opinion, the show’s premise takes philanthropy to another level since you become emotionally attached to the people you want to help. It personally gave me a newfound appreciation for how blessed I am, reaffirmed my faith in humanity and gave me a hint that philanthropy will be a big part of my future.

The show premieres on December 3^rd 2008 on Fox with a 2 hour special at 8pm. I hope you all tune into it.

For those of you that want to know more about the show – you can visit:

1. Secret Millionaire Trailer
2. Secret Millionaire Homepage (yep that’s me in the Green Jacket)

Here are some pictures from the event: