34K+ Big Macs and Counting: Guy Is Still Eating Them

Two years ago, Don Gorske hit a taste bud-teasing milestone: a half-century of scarfing down Big Macs almost every day. Now, the Wisconsin man can claim even more Big Mac bragging rights, extending the record-holding status he first reached with Guinness World Records in 1999 by eating 34,128 of McDonald's signature burger at last count—all of which he has the receipts for, reports the Guardian.

• 2023's intake: The retired prison guard from Fond du Lac, who enjoyed his first Big Mac on May 17, 1972, arrived at this stomach-filling new figure by noshing on 728 Big Macs last year.

• Staying healthy: At one point, Gorske was downing nine Big Macs a day, but he's since scaled back to two. He also forgoes fries with his meal and walks about 6 miles each day to stay in shape.
• What else does he eat? No breakfast, and small snacks of ice cream, chips, or fruit bars.
• Doesn't he get bored? "When I like something, I stick with it," he said in a 2021 interview, back when he had only 32,340 Big Macs (literally) under his belt. He has marked only eight days since that day in 1972 without eating a Big Mac.
• What about the Whopper? Gorske tells Guinness he tried Burger King's rival sandwich once, in 1984, but wasn't impressed enough to switch.
• A message to doubters: "Many people thought I'd be dead by now, but instead I've been a record holder for my 24th year," Gorske tells Guinness. "That's pretty cool."
• Future plans: The novelty of ingesting two all-beef patties with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun simply hasn't worn off. "People who have watched me eating a Big Mac often comment that I look like I'm eating one for the very first time," he tells Guinness, making it apparent he'll likely follow through with a pledge made in 2011, per NBC News: "I plan on eating Big Macs until I die."

(More Big Mac stories.)